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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 120 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 · sharp · pop · present · land · season · root · foot

  1. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  2. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  3. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  4. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  5. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  6. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  7. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  8. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  9. Did you ________________ the meat?
  10. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  11. When are we going to ________________?
  12. It's one o'clock ________________.
  13. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  14. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  15. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  16. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  17. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  18. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  19. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  20. We're almost out of ________________.
  21. You don't need to ________________ round.
  22. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  23. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  24. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.

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

Answer key

  1. present — the time now
  2. present — a gift
  3. sharp — with an edge
  4. foot — part of the body
  5. current — electric
  6. root — the cause
  7. season — in sport
  8. present — there
  9. season — to add flavour
  10. sharp — clever
  11. land — to come down
  12. sharp — exactly
  13. root — of a word
  14. foot — a measure
  15. root — of a plant
  16. land — ground
  17. current — of water
  18. pop — music
  19. land — a country
  20. pop — soda
  21. pop — to visit
  22. foot — the bottom
  23. season — of the year
  24. current — happening now

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