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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 · cold · current · object · deal · hand · ball · mug

  1. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  2. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  3. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  4. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  5. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  6. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  7. Where did you ________________ them?
  8. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  9. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  10. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  11. The King held a masked ________________.
  12. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  13. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  14. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  15. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  16. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  17. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  18. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  19. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  20. The water is too ________________.
  21. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  22. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  23. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  24. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — to handle
  2. object — to protest
  3. mug — a face
  4. cold — the Cold War
  5. ball — a great time
  6. hand — help
  7. mug — to rob
  8. root — of a plant
  9. ball — a round shape
  10. object — an aim
  11. ball — a dance
  12. cold — an illness
  13. deal — a big deal
  14. mug — a cup
  15. object — a thing
  16. root — the cause
  17. hand — part of the body
  18. hand — in cards
  19. current — happening now
  20. cold — not warm
  21. root — of a word
  22. current — electric
  23. current — of water
  24. deal — an agreement

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