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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: snap · current · sharp · chair · root · season · board · field

  1. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  2. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  3. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  4. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  5. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  6. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  7. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  8. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  9. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  10. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  11. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  12. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  13. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  14. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  15. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  16. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  17. Did you ________________ the meat?
  18. It's one o'clock ________________.
  19. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  20. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  21. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  22. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  23. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  24. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.

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

Answer key

  1. current — happening now
  2. field — farmland
  3. field — for sport
  4. board — a flat piece
  5. root — of a plant
  6. chair — to sit on
  7. snap — to snap out of it
  8. board — a committee
  9. field — a subject
  10. season — of the year
  11. snap — to click
  12. sharp — clever
  13. root — the cause
  14. sharp — with an edge
  15. board — to get on
  16. chair — a leader
  17. season — to add flavour
  18. sharp — exactly
  19. chair — a professorship
  20. season — in sport
  21. current — electric
  22. current — of water
  23. snap — to speak sharply
  24. root — of a word

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