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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: current · root · stock · squash · fan · cap · content · ball

  1. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  2. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  3. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  4. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  5. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  6. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  7. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  8. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  9. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  10. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  11. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  12. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  13. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  14. The King held a masked ________________.
  15. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  16. The ________________ market has crashed.
  17. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  18. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  19. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  20. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  21. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  22. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  23. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  24. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. cap — a hat
  3. cap — of ice
  4. current — of water
  5. ball — a great time
  6. ball — a round shape
  7. root — of a word
  8. squash — the vegetable
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. squash — the sport
  11. content — the amount
  12. root — of a plant
  13. current — happening now
  14. ball — a dance
  15. fan — to cool the air
  16. stock — shares
  17. root — the cause
  18. content — happy
  19. current — electric
  20. stock — goods
  21. cap — a lid
  22. content — videos and posts
  23. stock — a soup base
  24. squash — to crush

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com