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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: root · race · squash · key · patient · pit · current · mouse

  1. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  2. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  3. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  4. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  5. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  6. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  7. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  8. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  9. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  10. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  11. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  12. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  13. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  14. This piece is in a major ________________.
  15. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  16. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  17. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  18. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  19. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  20. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  21. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  22. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  23. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  24. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. key — for a lock
  2. current — electric
  3. root — the cause
  4. squash — the vegetable
  5. pit — a fruit stone
  6. root — of a plant
  7. race — a contest
  8. current — happening now
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. root — of a word
  11. pit — a hole
  12. mouse — for a computer
  13. race — the arms race
  14. key — in music
  15. patient — calm and waiting
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. pit — in a race
  18. squash — the sport
  19. squash — to crush
  20. race — humankind
  21. key — the most important part
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. current — of water
  24. mouse — the animal

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