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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: row · land · court · calf · object · fine · root · current

  1. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  2. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  3. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  4. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  5. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  6. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  7. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  8. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  9. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  10. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  11. The ball is in your ________________.
  12. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  13. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  14. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  15. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  16. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  17. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  18. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  19. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  20. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  21. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  22. When are we going to ________________?
  23. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  24. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?

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

Answer key

  1. row — to paddle
  2. fine — all right
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. land — ground
  5. current — happening now
  6. current — electric
  7. land — a country
  8. fine — high quality
  9. row — a quarrel
  10. root — of a word
  11. court — for sport
  12. object — an aim
  13. object — a thing
  14. court — of a king
  15. current — of water
  16. fine — a penalty
  17. calf — of the leg
  18. court — of law
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. row — a line
  21. root — of a plant
  22. land — to come down
  23. root — the cause
  24. object — to protest

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