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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 · mate · deal · fan · date · kid · season · current

  1. Have you settled on a ________________?
  2. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  3. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  4. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  5. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  6. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  7. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  8. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  9. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  10. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  11. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  12. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  13. Did you ________________ the meat?
  14. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  15. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  16. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  17. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  18. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  19. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  20. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  21. Have you found your soul ________________?
  22. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  23. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  24. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?

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

Answer key

  1. date — on the calendar
  2. current — happening now
  3. deal — to handle
  4. date — on the calendar
  5. root — of a word
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  8. date — the fruit
  9. fan — to cool the air
  10. root — of a plant
  11. current — of water
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. season — to add flavour
  14. deal — an agreement
  15. root — the cause
  16. mate — to breed
  17. kid — to tease
  18. deal — a big deal
  19. season — in sport
  20. kid — child
  21. mate — a partner
  22. current — electric
  23. season — of the year
  24. mate — a friend

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