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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: chest · clip · firm · squash · current · fine · net · root

  1. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  2. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  3. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  4. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  5. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  6. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  7. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  8. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  9. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  10. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  11. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  12. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  13. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  14. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  15. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  16. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  17. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  18. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  19. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  20. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  21. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  22. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  23. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  24. I'd like to play a game of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. current — of water
  2. root — the cause
  3. root — of a plant
  4. fine — a penalty
  5. net — after costs
  6. net — for catching
  7. firm — a company
  8. chest — of your body
  9. clip — a video
  10. fine — all right
  11. clip — to cut
  12. root — of a word
  13. firm — decided
  14. firm — steady
  15. squash — the vegetable
  16. chest — a box
  17. net — in sport
  18. chest — of your body
  19. current — electric
  20. clip — for paper
  21. current — happening now
  22. squash — to crush
  23. fine — high quality
  24. squash — the sport

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