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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: game · current · cold · suit · root · saw · kick · mug

  1. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  2. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  3. That was a fun ________________.
  4. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  5. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  6. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  7. The water is too ________________.
  8. When will it ________________ you to start?
  9. Where did you ________________ them?
  10. She's very handy with a ________________.
  11. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  12. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  13. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  14. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  15. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  16. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  17. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  18. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  19. He works in a ________________ mill.
  20. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  21. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  22. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  23. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  24. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.

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

Answer key

  1. root — the cause
  2. cold — an illness
  3. game — a match
  4. suit — clothes
  5. suit — in cards
  6. current — electric
  7. cold — not warm
  8. suit — to fit
  9. mug — to rob
  10. saw — the tool
  11. root — of a word
  12. kick — with a leg
  13. kick — a thrill
  14. current — of water
  15. root — of a plant
  16. game — wild animals
  17. kick — in football
  18. game — a kind of play
  19. saw — the tool
  20. mug — a face
  21. current — happening now
  22. mug — a cup
  23. cold — the Cold War
  24. saw — past of 'see'

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