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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.

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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: content · lie · board · current · fork · ground · pitch · root

  1. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  2. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  3. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  4. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  5. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  6. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  7. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  8. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  9. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  10. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  11. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  12. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  13. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  14. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  15. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  16. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  17. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  18. There's no middle ________________.
  19. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  20. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  21. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  22. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  23. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  24. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.

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

Answer key

  1. content — videos and posts
  2. pitch — a sports field
  3. current — electric
  4. current — happening now
  5. board — a committee
  6. root — of a word
  7. fork — to eat with
  8. fork — in a road
  9. board — to get on
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. current — of water
  12. root — the cause
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. content — the amount
  15. fork — a garden tool
  16. root — of a plant
  17. lie — to recline
  18. ground — a position
  19. ground — crushed
  20. pitch — a sales talk
  21. pitch — completely
  22. board — a flat piece
  23. content — happy
  24. ground — the earth

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