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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: squash · root · fine · current · mug · hand · game · present

  1. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  2. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  3. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  4. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  5. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  6. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  7. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  8. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  9. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  10. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  11. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  12. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  13. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  14. Where did you ________________ them?
  15. That was a fun ________________.
  16. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  17. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  18. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  19. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  20. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  21. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  22. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  23. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  24. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — all right
  2. squash — the sport
  3. root — the cause
  4. fine — high quality
  5. present — a gift
  6. squash — to crush
  7. game — wild animals
  8. hand — in cards
  9. root — of a plant
  10. current — happening now
  11. mug — a cup
  12. squash — the vegetable
  13. fine — a penalty
  14. mug — to rob
  15. game — a match
  16. hand — part of the body
  17. present — the time now
  18. hand — help
  19. game — a kind of play
  20. present — there
  21. current — of water
  22. mug — a face
  23. root — of a word
  24. current — electric

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