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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: root · hand · suit · cap · cell · current · ground · shower

  1. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  2. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  3. When will it ________________ you to start?
  4. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  5. There's no middle ________________.
  6. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  7. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  8. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  9. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  10. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  11. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  12. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  13. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  14. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  15. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  16. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  17. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  18. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  19. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  20. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  21. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  22. He was locked up in a ________________.
  23. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  24. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — clothes
  2. shower — rain
  3. suit — to fit
  4. suit — in cards
  5. ground — a position
  6. hand — help
  7. current — happening now
  8. shower — a meteor shower
  9. hand — in cards
  10. root — the cause
  11. root — of a plant
  12. root — of a word
  13. current — of water
  14. current — electric
  15. cell — a phone
  16. cell — in biology
  17. cap — of ice
  18. ground — the earth
  19. cap — a hat
  20. shower — to wash
  21. ground — crushed
  22. cell — in a prison
  23. cap — a lid
  24. hand — part of the body

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