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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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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: rest · current · root · ruler · cabinet · pitch · cold · kid

  1. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  2. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  3. What do you think of the new ________________?
  4. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  5. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  6. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  7. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  8. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  9. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  10. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  11. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  12. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  13. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  14. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  15. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  16. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  17. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  18. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  19. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  20. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  21. The water is too ________________.
  22. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  23. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  24. Let us try to swim against the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. root — the cause
  2. current — happening now
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. pitch — completely
  5. root — of a word
  6. pitch — a sales talk
  7. rest — what's left
  8. kid — to tease
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. pitch — a sports field
  12. cold — an illness
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. kid — child
  15. current — electric
  16. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  17. cold — the Cold War
  18. root — of a plant
  19. cabinet — a cupboard
  20. ruler — a monarch
  21. cold — not warm
  22. rest — what's left
  23. rest — a break
  24. current — of water

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