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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: cell · saw · bay · current · root · drill · pitch · ground

  1. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  2. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  3. He was locked up in a ________________.
  4. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  5. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  6. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  7. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  8. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  9. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  10. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  11. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  12. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  13. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  14. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  15. He works in a ________________ mill.
  16. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  17. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  18. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  19. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  20. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  21. There's no middle ________________.
  22. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  23. My mare is ________________ in color.
  24. She's very handy with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. current — of water
  2. cell — a phone
  3. cell — in a prison
  4. ground — crushed
  5. root — of a plant
  6. drill — the tool
  7. drill — a practice
  8. current — happening now
  9. root — the cause
  10. drill — army training
  11. bay — a part of the sea
  12. pitch — a sports field
  13. cell — in biology
  14. pitch — a sales talk
  15. saw — the tool
  16. pitch — completely
  17. ground — the earth
  18. bay — to keep at bay
  19. current — electric
  20. saw — past of 'see'
  21. ground — a position
  22. root — of a word
  23. bay — a horse colour
  24. saw — the tool

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