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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: fine · current · root · wake · ruler · key · bark · season

  1. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  2. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  3. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  4. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  5. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  6. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  7. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  8. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  9. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  10. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  11. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  12. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  13. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  14. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  15. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  16. This piece is in a major ________________.
  17. Did you ________________ the meat?
  18. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  19. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  20. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  21. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  22. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  23. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  24. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.

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

Answer key

  1. current — electric
  2. root — of a word
  3. fine — high quality
  4. root — of a plant
  5. season — of the year
  6. key — for a lock
  7. current — of water
  8. fine — all right
  9. season — in sport
  10. root — the cause
  11. current — happening now
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. wake — before a funeral
  14. bark — of a tree
  15. fine — a penalty
  16. key — in music
  17. season — to add flavour
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. ruler — a monarch
  20. key — the most important part
  21. bark — a dog's sound
  22. wake — a trail
  23. wake — to stop sleeping
  24. bark — to shout

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