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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 120 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: calf · current · chip · racket · snap · cold · root · staff

  1. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  2. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  3. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  4. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  5. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  6. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  7. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  8. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  9. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  10. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  11. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  12. The water is too ________________.
  13. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  14. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  15. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  16. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  17. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  18. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  19. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  20. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  21. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  22. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  23. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  24. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a word
  2. cold — the Cold War
  3. staff — a stick
  4. root — the cause
  5. staff — employees
  6. snap — to speak sharply
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. root — of a plant
  9. snap — to click
  10. racket — a loud noise
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. cold — not warm
  13. staff — employees
  14. calf — of the leg
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. current — of water
  17. chip — for betting
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. cold — an illness
  20. chip — in a computer
  21. current — electric
  22. snap — to snap out of it
  23. current — happening now
  24. chip — to eat

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