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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  2. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  3. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  4. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  5. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  6. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  7. David sat on the ________________.
  8. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  9. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  10. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  11. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  12. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  13. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  14. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  15. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  16. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  17. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  18. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — a loud noise
  2. rock — music
  3. current — of water
  4. root — of a word
  5. rock — a stone
  6. scale — in music
  7. swing — to play on
  8. swing — in golf
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. rock — to move gently
  11. scale — size or range
  12. current — happening now
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. root — of a plant
  15. scale — for weighing
  16. current — electric
  17. root — the cause
  18. swing — music

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