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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 120 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.

Make a worksheet

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
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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 · chair · current · nail · club · object · cold · hand

  1. The water is too ________________.
  2. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  3. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  4. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  5. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  6. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  7. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  8. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  9. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  10. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  11. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  12. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  13. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  14. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  15. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  16. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  17. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  18. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  19. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  20. The ________________ went through the wall.
  21. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  22. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  23. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  24. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?

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

Answer key

  1. cold — not warm
  2. chair — a professorship
  3. object — a thing
  4. current — electric
  5. root — the cause
  6. nail — on a finger
  7. hand — part of the body
  8. hand — in cards
  9. root — of a word
  10. club — for golf
  11. hand — help
  12. object — an aim
  13. root — of a plant
  14. chair — to sit on
  15. club — a group
  16. cold — an illness
  17. chair — a leader
  18. cold — the Cold War
  19. club — for dancing
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. current — happening now
  22. current — of water
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. object — to protest

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