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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: ruler · date · pitch · row · race · lean · root · current

  1. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  2. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  3. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  4. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  5. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  6. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  7. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  8. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  9. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  10. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  11. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  12. Have you settled on a ________________?
  13. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  14. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  15. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  16. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  17. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  18. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  19. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  20. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  21. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  22. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  23. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  24. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.

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

Answer key

  1. current — of water
  2. pitch — completely
  3. pitch — a sales talk
  4. root — of a word
  5. current — electric
  6. row — to paddle
  7. row — a quarrel
  8. current — happening now
  9. lean — to bend
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. date — on the calendar
  13. root — of a plant
  14. ruler — a monarch
  15. lean — thin
  16. row — a line
  17. lean — to rest against
  18. race — the arms race
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. race — a contest
  21. pitch — a sports field
  22. root — the cause
  23. race — humankind
  24. date — the fruit

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