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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: press · root · current · wake · scale · fork · straw · prune

  1. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  2. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  3. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  4. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  5. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  6. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  7. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  8. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  9. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  10. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  11. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  12. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  13. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  14. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  15. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  16. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  17. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  18. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  19. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  20. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  21. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  22. Did you ________________ the button?
  23. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  24. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.

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

Answer key

  1. current — happening now
  2. prune — the fruit
  3. current — of water
  4. scale — for weighing
  5. wake — a trail
  6. fork — in a road
  7. wake — before a funeral
  8. scale — in music
  9. prune — to trim
  10. straw — dry grass
  11. root — the cause
  12. prune — to trim
  13. scale — size or range
  14. root — of a plant
  15. press — newspapers
  16. wake — to stop sleeping
  17. straw — to clutch at straws
  18. fork — a garden tool
  19. current — electric
  20. root — of a word
  21. press — a publisher
  22. press — to push
  23. straw — a straw man
  24. fork — to eat with

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