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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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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: chip · kick · root · field · ruler · jam · current · perch

  1. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  2. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  3. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  4. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  5. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  6. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  7. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  8. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  9. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  10. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  11. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  12. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  13. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  14. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  15. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  16. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  17. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  18. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  19. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  20. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  21. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  22. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  23. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  24. Let us try to swim against the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — a thrill
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. field — for sport
  4. root — the cause
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. ruler — a monarch
  7. kick — in football
  8. kick — with a leg
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. root — of a word
  11. jam — to spread on bread
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. jam — a tight spot
  14. chip — in a computer
  15. current — happening now
  16. jam — in traffic
  17. field — farmland
  18. chip — for betting
  19. perch — the fish
  20. chip — to eat
  21. root — of a plant
  22. field — a subject
  23. current — electric
  24. current — of water

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