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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: scale · root · cell · tear · current · sharp · rule · fork

  1. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  2. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  3. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  4. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  5. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  6. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  7. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  8. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  9. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  10. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  11. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  12. It's one o'clock ________________.
  13. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  14. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  15. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  16. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  17. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  18. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  19. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  20. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  21. He was locked up in a ________________.
  22. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  23. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  24. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — in a road
  2. root — of a word
  3. sharp — clever
  4. current — of water
  5. current — electric
  6. tear — from crying
  7. sharp — with an edge
  8. scale — size or range
  9. scale — in music
  10. root — the cause
  11. root — of a plant
  12. sharp — exactly
  13. cell — a phone
  14. rule — a law
  15. fork — a garden tool
  16. tear — from crying
  17. rule — government
  18. tear — to rip
  19. rule — to rule out
  20. scale — for weighing
  21. cell — in a prison
  22. fork — to eat with
  23. current — happening now
  24. cell — in biology

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