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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: racket · shower · date · court · pound · root · current · band

  1. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  2. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  3. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  4. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  5. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  6. Have you settled on a ________________?
  7. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  8. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  9. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  10. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  11. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  12. The ball is in your ________________.
  13. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  14. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  15. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  16. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  17. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  18. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  19. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  20. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  21. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  22. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  23. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  24. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a plant
  2. band — a rubber band
  3. shower — rain
  4. band — a music group
  5. pound — a weight
  6. date — on the calendar
  7. current — of water
  8. root — the cause
  9. court — of law
  10. root — of a word
  11. court — of a king
  12. court — for sport
  13. shower — a meteor shower
  14. date — the fruit
  15. band — a ring
  16. date — on the calendar
  17. shower — to wash
  18. pound — to hit hard
  19. current — happening now
  20. racket — a loud noise
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. pound — for dogs
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. current — electric

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