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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 116 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: pound · root · hide · track · cue · fan · current · rest

  1. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  2. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  3. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  4. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  5. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  6. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  7. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  8. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  9. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  10. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  11. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  12. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  13. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  14. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  15. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  16. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  17. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  18. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  19. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  20. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  21. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  22. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  23. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  24. Can you turn the ________________ on?

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

Answer key

  1. current — happening now
  2. cue — a signal
  3. rest — what's left
  4. current — of water
  5. rest — what's left
  6. track — a path
  7. cue — a hint
  8. root — of a plant
  9. pound — for dogs
  10. pound — to hit hard
  11. pound — a weight
  12. track — a song
  13. rest — a break
  14. cue — for pool
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. current — electric
  18. root — of a word
  19. root — the cause
  20. hide — animal skin
  21. track — to keep track
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. fan — to cool the 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