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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: root · rock · fine · straw · wind · charge · pound · current

  1. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  2. The tickets are free of ________________.
  3. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  4. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  5. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  6. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  7. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  8. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  9. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  10. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  11. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  12. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  13. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  14. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  15. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  16. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  17. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  18. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  19. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  20. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  21. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  22. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  23. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  24. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. current — happening now
  2. charge — a price
  3. wind — moving air
  4. rock — a stone
  5. current — electric
  6. fine — high quality
  7. pound — a weight
  8. rock — music
  9. wind — to turn a key
  10. straw — a straw man
  11. fine — all right
  12. pound — for dogs
  13. root — the cause
  14. root — of a plant
  15. charge — in control
  16. straw — to clutch at straws
  17. charge — electricity
  18. root — of a word
  19. fine — a penalty
  20. wind — moving air
  21. pound — to hit hard
  22. current — of water
  23. rock — to move gently
  24. straw — dry grass

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