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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: snap · present · bore · board · prune · root · current · stick

  1. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  2. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  3. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  4. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  5. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  6. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  7. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  8. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  9. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  10. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  11. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  12. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  13. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  14. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  15. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  16. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  17. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  18. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  19. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  20. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  21. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  22. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  23. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  24. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a committee
  2. board — a flat piece
  3. stick — to attach or keep to
  4. root — of a word
  5. root — the cause
  6. bore — gave birth
  7. current — electric
  8. present — the time now
  9. present — a gift
  10. prune — to trim
  11. root — of a plant
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. board — to get on
  14. bore — to tire
  15. prune — the fruit
  16. snap — to snap out of it
  17. bore — to drill
  18. current — of water
  19. prune — to trim
  20. present — there
  21. snap — to speak sharply
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. snap — to click
  24. current — happening now

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