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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: rash · pit · field · wake · root · current · cell · suit

  1. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  2. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  3. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  4. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  5. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  6. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  7. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  8. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  9. When will it ________________ you to start?
  10. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  11. Don't do anything ________________.
  12. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  13. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  14. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  15. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  16. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  17. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  18. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  19. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  20. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  21. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  22. He was locked up in a ________________.
  23. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  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. wake — to stop sleeping
  2. rash — on the skin
  3. wake — a trail
  4. cell — a phone
  5. root — of a word
  6. current — of water
  7. rash — a series
  8. pit — a fruit stone
  9. suit — to fit
  10. field — for sport
  11. rash — hasty
  12. root — of a plant
  13. wake — before a funeral
  14. root — the cause
  15. pit — in a race
  16. field — a subject
  17. suit — in cards
  18. pit — a hole
  19. field — farmland
  20. current — electric
  21. suit — clothes
  22. cell — in a prison
  23. cell — in biology
  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