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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 116 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: ground · scale · fan · bark · current · net · tube · root

  1. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  2. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  3. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  4. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  5. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  6. I'll be taking the ________________.
  7. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  8. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  9. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  10. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  11. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  12. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  13. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  14. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  15. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  16. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  17. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  18. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  19. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  20. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  21. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  22. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  23. There's no middle ________________.
  24. Add some ________________ pepper to it.

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

Answer key

  1. current — of water
  2. bark — to shout
  3. root — of a plant
  4. current — electric
  5. net — for catching
  6. tube — the underground
  7. net — in sport
  8. tube — a container
  9. current — happening now
  10. root — of a word
  11. bark — a dog's sound
  12. scale — size or range
  13. scale — for weighing
  14. tube — in a tire
  15. bark — of a tree
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. fan — to cool the air
  18. net — after costs
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. root — the cause
  21. ground — the earth
  22. scale — in music
  23. ground — a position
  24. ground — crushed

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