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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: lean · degree · deal · bay · content · root · coach · current

  1. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  2. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  3. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  4. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  5. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  6. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  7. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  8. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  9. My mare is ________________ in color.
  10. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  11. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  12. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  13. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  14. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  15. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  16. Have you met the new head ________________?
  17. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  18. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  19. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  20. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  21. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  22. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  23. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  24. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — to keep at bay
  2. degree — from a university
  3. lean — to rest against
  4. deal — to handle
  5. deal — a big deal
  6. degree — an amount
  7. root — the cause
  8. lean — to bend
  9. bay — a horse colour
  10. current — happening now
  11. deal — an agreement
  12. current — electric
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. root — of a plant
  15. content — happy
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. lean — thin
  18. coach — pulled by horses
  19. degree — temperature
  20. root — of a word
  21. content — videos and posts
  22. content — the amount
  23. current — of water
  24. bay — a part of the sea

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