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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.

Make a worksheet

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: present · current · root · fan · chest · club · row · game

  1. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  2. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  3. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  4. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  5. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  6. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  7. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  8. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  9. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  10. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  11. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  12. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  13. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  14. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  15. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  16. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  17. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  18. That was a fun ________________.
  19. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  20. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  21. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  22. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  23. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  24. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a kind of play
  2. root — of a word
  3. fan — to cool the air
  4. chest — a box
  5. game — wild animals
  6. row — a line
  7. root — the cause
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. row — to paddle
  10. present — there
  11. club — for golf
  12. chest — of your body
  13. root — of a plant
  14. current — of water
  15. present — a gift
  16. chest — of your body
  17. present — the time now
  18. game — a match
  19. current — happening now
  20. club — a group
  21. club — for dancing
  22. row — a quarrel
  23. fan — a supporter
  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