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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 120 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: bass · deal · root · wind · fork · current · rush · bowl

  1. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  2. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  3. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  4. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  5. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  6. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  7. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  8. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  9. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  10. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  11. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  12. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  13. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  14. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  15. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  16. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  17. That must've been a ________________.
  18. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  19. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  20. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  21. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  22. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  23. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  24. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.

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

Answer key

  1. current — of water
  2. bass — the instrument
  3. rush — to hurry
  4. fork — to eat with
  5. root — of a word
  6. deal — a big deal
  7. fork — in a road
  8. deal — to handle
  9. rush — hurry
  10. bowl — a dish
  11. bowl — a football final
  12. wind — moving air
  13. bowl — to roll
  14. root — the cause
  15. bass — low music
  16. wind — to turn a key
  17. rush — a thrill
  18. bass — the fish
  19. wind — moving air
  20. deal — an agreement
  21. fork — a garden tool
  22. current — electric
  23. current — happening now
  24. root — of a plant

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