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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: pop · current · leaves · cold · mark · cue · root · saw

  1. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  2. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  3. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  4. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  5. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  6. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  7. He works in a ________________ mill.
  8. She's very handy with a ________________.
  9. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  10. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  11. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  12. We're almost out of ________________.
  13. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  14. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  15. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  16. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  17. You don't need to ________________ round.
  18. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  19. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  20. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  21. The water is too ________________.
  22. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  23. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  24. The ________________ change colour in autumn.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — music
  2. root — of a word
  3. root — of a plant
  4. mark — a trace
  5. root — the cause
  6. leaves — lets stay
  7. saw — the tool
  8. saw — the tool
  9. cold — the Cold War
  10. cold — an illness
  11. mark — to pay attention
  12. pop — soda
  13. mark — a grade
  14. current — electric
  15. cue — for pool
  16. cue — a hint
  17. pop — to visit
  18. leaves — to go away
  19. cue — a signal
  20. current — happening now
  21. cold — not warm
  22. current — of water
  23. saw — past of 'see'
  24. leaves — of a tree

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