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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.

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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: mate · field · rock · root · can · mine · press · current

  1. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  2. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  3. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  4. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  5. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  6. Have you found your soul ________________?
  7. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  8. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  9. Did you ________________ the button?
  10. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  11. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  12. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  13. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  14. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  15. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  16. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  17. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  18. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  19. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  20. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  21. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  22. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  23. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  24. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.

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

Answer key

  1. field — a subject
  2. press — newspapers
  3. rock — music
  4. mine — for digging
  5. field — farmland
  6. mate — a partner
  7. press — a publisher
  8. rock — to move gently
  9. press — to push
  10. current — electric
  11. current — happening now
  12. root — the cause
  13. can — to be able to
  14. mate — a friend
  15. mine — an explosive
  16. field — for sport
  17. mine — belonging to me
  18. root — of a plant
  19. can — a tin
  20. mate — to breed
  21. can — a tin
  22. rock — a stone
  23. current — of water
  24. root — of a word

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