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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: bat · root · craft · current · nail · mine · roll · jam

  1. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  2. We're on a ________________ here.
  3. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  4. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  5. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  6. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  7. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  8. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  9. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  10. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  11. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  12. The ________________ went through the wall.
  13. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  14. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  15. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  16. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  17. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  18. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  19. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  20. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  21. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  22. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  23. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  24. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.

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

Answer key

  1. root — the cause
  2. roll — on a roll
  3. current — of water
  4. root — of a word
  5. jam — to spread on bread
  6. bat — the animal
  7. roll — a list
  8. jam — a tight spot
  9. craft — a handicraft
  10. craft — a skill
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. roll — a cake
  14. mine — an explosive
  15. bat — for baseball
  16. current — electric
  17. root — of a plant
  18. bat — in an idiom
  19. current — happening now
  20. jam — in traffic
  21. craft — boats
  22. mine — belonging to me
  23. mine — for digging
  24. nail — on a finger

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