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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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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: mark · kid · ruler · rest · current · root · ball · wind

  1. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  2. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  3. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  4. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  5. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  6. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  7. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  8. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  9. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  10. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  11. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  12. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  13. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  14. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  15. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  16. The King held a masked ________________.
  17. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  18. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  19. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  20. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  21. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  22. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  23. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  24. I would like to have a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — to turn a key
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. current — happening now
  4. root — of a plant
  5. root — the cause
  6. kid — child
  7. root — of a word
  8. rest — what's left
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. ball — a great time
  11. kid — to tease
  12. current — of water
  13. ruler — a monarch
  14. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  15. ball — a round shape
  16. ball — a dance
  17. wind — moving air
  18. current — electric
  19. rest — what's left
  20. mark — a trace
  21. mark — a grade
  22. wind — moving air
  23. mark — to pay attention
  24. rest — a break

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