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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: current · face · root · net · season · bulb · racket · fall

  1. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  2. I've got to change the light ________________.
  3. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  4. Did you ________________ the meat?
  5. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  6. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  7. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  8. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  9. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  10. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  11. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  12. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  13. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  14. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  15. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  16. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  17. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  18. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  19. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  20. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  21. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  22. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  23. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  24. The light ________________ burned out.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a word
  2. bulb — for light
  3. net — after costs
  4. season — to add flavour
  5. fall — the season
  6. face — to confront
  7. face — to point toward
  8. bulb — of a plant
  9. root — the cause
  10. fall — to drop
  11. racket — a loud noise
  12. face — part of the head
  13. current — electric
  14. net — in sport
  15. current — of water
  16. season — in sport
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. root — of a plant
  19. season — of the year
  20. current — happening now
  21. fall — to drop
  22. net — for catching
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. bulb — for light

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