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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 · last · fan · content · toast · current · board · jam

  1. False peace will not ________________.
  2. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  3. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  4. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  5. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  6. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  7. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  8. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  9. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  10. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  11. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  12. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  13. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  14. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  15. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  16. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  17. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  18. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  19. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  20. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  21. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  22. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  23. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  24. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.

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

Answer key

  1. last — to go on
  2. content — the amount
  3. toast — the most admired
  4. jam — in traffic
  5. root — of a word
  6. current — electric
  7. board — a flat piece
  8. root — of a plant
  9. jam — a tight spot
  10. toast — bread
  11. last — finally
  12. board — a committee
  13. board — to get on
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. jam — to spread on bread
  16. fan — to cool the air
  17. last — final
  18. content — videos and posts
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. content — happy
  21. current — of water
  22. current — happening now
  23. root — the cause
  24. toast — a drink to someone

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