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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: ball · bound · foot · fall · root · cell · spring · current

  1. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  2. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  3. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  4. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  5. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  6. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  7. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  8. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  9. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  10. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  11. He was locked up in a ________________.
  12. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  13. That was ________________ to happen.
  14. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  15. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  16. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  17. The King held a masked ________________.
  18. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  19. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  20. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  21. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  22. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  23. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  24. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.

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

Answer key

  1. current — happening now
  2. cell — in biology
  3. current — of water
  4. fall — to drop
  5. root — the cause
  6. fall — the season
  7. cell — a phone
  8. root — of a plant
  9. bound — obliged
  10. spring — the season
  11. cell — in a prison
  12. bound — tied together
  13. bound — certain
  14. foot — a measure
  15. foot — part of the body
  16. ball — a round shape
  17. ball — a dance
  18. spring — of water
  19. fall — to drop
  20. current — electric
  21. spring — a coil
  22. foot — the bottom
  23. ball — a great time
  24. root — of a word

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