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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: bound · board · field · root · snap · suit · current · rush

  1. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  2. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  3. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  4. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  5. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  6. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  7. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  8. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  9. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  10. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  11. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  12. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  13. When will it ________________ you to start?
  14. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  15. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  16. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  17. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  18. That was ________________ to happen.
  19. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  20. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  21. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  22. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  23. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  24. That must've been a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to snap out of it
  2. current — electric
  3. board — a committee
  4. root — of a plant
  5. current — happening now
  6. board — a flat piece
  7. field — a subject
  8. field — for sport
  9. rush — hurry
  10. suit — clothes
  11. snap — to speak sharply
  12. bound — obliged
  13. suit — to fit
  14. snap — to click
  15. rush — to hurry
  16. bound — tied together
  17. current — of water
  18. bound — certain
  19. field — farmland
  20. root — of a word
  21. suit — in cards
  22. root — the cause
  23. board — to get on
  24. rush — a thrill

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