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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 116 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: craft · straw · race · bowl · file · squash · root · current

  1. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  2. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  3. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  4. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  5. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  6. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  7. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  8. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  9. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  10. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  11. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  12. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  13. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  14. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  15. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  16. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  17. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  18. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  19. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  20. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  21. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  22. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  23. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  24. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.

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

Answer key

  1. current — electric
  2. straw — to clutch at straws
  3. squash — the vegetable
  4. root — of a word
  5. race — humankind
  6. straw — a straw man
  7. file — a tool
  8. root — the cause
  9. file — a document
  10. bowl — to roll
  11. craft — a handicraft
  12. current — happening now
  13. straw — dry grass
  14. bowl — a dish
  15. squash — to crush
  16. current — of water
  17. squash — the sport
  18. file — a line of people
  19. bowl — a football final
  20. craft — boats
  21. race — the arms race
  22. race — a contest
  23. root — of a plant
  24. craft — a skill

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