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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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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: root · mark · object · ground · cap · coach · current · fine

  1. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  2. Have you met the new head ________________?
  3. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  4. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  5. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  6. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  7. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  8. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  9. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  10. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  11. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  12. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  13. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  14. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  15. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  16. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  17. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  18. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  19. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  20. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  21. There's no middle ________________.
  22. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  23. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  24. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.

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

Answer key

  1. current — happening now
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. fine — high quality
  4. object — to protest
  5. ground — crushed
  6. object — a thing
  7. root — of a plant
  8. current — electric
  9. current — of water
  10. mark — a grade
  11. coach — pulled by horses
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. cap — of ice
  14. root — of a word
  15. cap — a hat
  16. cap — a lid
  17. mark — to pay attention
  18. root — the cause
  19. object — an aim
  20. mark — a trace
  21. ground — a position
  22. fine — all right
  23. fine — a penalty
  24. ground — the earth

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