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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: current · net · pitch · trunk · root · mine · lie · bound

  1. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  2. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  3. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  4. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  5. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  6. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  7. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  8. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  9. That was ________________ to happen.
  10. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  11. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  12. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  13. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  14. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  15. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  16. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  17. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  18. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  19. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  20. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  21. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  22. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  23. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  24. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. net — in sport
  3. current — happening now
  4. current — of water
  5. bound — obliged
  6. root — the cause
  7. pitch — a sports field
  8. root — of a word
  9. bound — certain
  10. pitch — completely
  11. trunk — of an elephant
  12. trunk — of a car
  13. net — for catching
  14. pitch — a sales talk
  15. root — of a plant
  16. trunk — of a tree
  17. net — after costs
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. mine — for digging
  20. mine — belonging to me
  21. lie — to recline
  22. mine — an explosive
  23. bound — tied together
  24. current — electric

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