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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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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. David sat on the ________________.
  2. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  3. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  4. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  5. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  6. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  7. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  8. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  9. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  10. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  11. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  12. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  13. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  14. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  15. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  16. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  17. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  18. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — to play on
  2. content — the amount
  3. face — part of the head
  4. mark — a grade
  5. root — the cause
  6. current — of water
  7. mark — to pay attention
  8. face — to confront
  9. root — of a plant
  10. content — happy
  11. swing — music
  12. mark — a trace
  13. swing — in golf
  14. current — electric
  15. face — to point toward
  16. current — happening now
  17. content — videos and posts
  18. root — of a word

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