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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: wave · rock · root · land · current · degree · mate · date

  1. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  2. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  3. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  4. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  5. When are we going to ________________?
  6. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  7. Have you found your soul ________________?
  8. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  9. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  10. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  11. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  12. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  13. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  14. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  15. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  16. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  17. Have you settled on a ________________?
  18. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  19. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  20. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  21. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  22. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  23. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  24. Let us try to swim against the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a word
  2. current — electric
  3. root — the cause
  4. wave — with your hand
  5. land — to come down
  6. rock — music
  7. mate — a partner
  8. rock — a stone
  9. degree — an amount
  10. mate — a friend
  11. date — on the calendar
  12. root — of a plant
  13. degree — temperature
  14. land — a country
  15. wave — of the sea
  16. date — the fruit
  17. date — on the calendar
  18. degree — from a university
  19. rock — to move gently
  20. land — ground
  21. wave — a sudden rise
  22. current — happening now
  23. mate — to breed
  24. current — of water

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