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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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 · current · fine · court · calf · bore · wind · safe

  1. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  2. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  3. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  4. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  5. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  6. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  7. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  8. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  9. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  10. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  11. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  12. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  13. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  14. The ball is in your ________________.
  15. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  16. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  17. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  18. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  19. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  20. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  21. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  22. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  23. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  24. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — a strongbox
  2. root — of a plant
  3. fine — a penalty
  4. current — electric
  5. root — of a word
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. current — of water
  9. wind — to turn a key
  10. fine — all right
  11. current — happening now
  12. wind — moving air
  13. court — of law
  14. court — for sport
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. calf — of the leg
  17. bore — to drill
  18. root — the cause
  19. bore — to tire
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. court — of a king
  22. bore — gave birth
  23. fine — high quality
  24. wind — moving air

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