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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: cold · current · object · root · ball · stand · firm · fine

  1. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  2. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  3. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  4. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  5. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  6. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  7. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  8. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  9. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  10. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  11. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  12. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  13. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  14. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  15. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  16. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  17. The water is too ________________.
  18. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  19. The King held a masked ________________.
  20. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  21. I can't ________________ this cold.
  22. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  23. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  24. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — a penalty
  2. fine — all right
  3. current — electric
  4. object — an aim
  5. firm — steady
  6. firm — a company
  7. root — of a word
  8. current — of water
  9. cold — an illness
  10. ball — a great time
  11. object — to protest
  12. cold — the Cold War
  13. current — happening now
  14. object — a thing
  15. root — the cause
  16. fine — high quality
  17. cold — not warm
  18. stand — for spectators
  19. ball — a dance
  20. firm — decided
  21. stand — to bear
  22. root — of a plant
  23. ball — a round shape
  24. stand — on your feet

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