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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. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  2. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  3. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  4. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  5. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  6. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  7. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  8. That was a fun ________________.
  9. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  10. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  11. The King held a masked ________________.
  12. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  13. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  14. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  15. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  16. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  17. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  18. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  19. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  20. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  21. He was locked up in a ________________.
  22. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  23. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  24. Let us try to swim against the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. game — wild animals
  2. cell — in biology
  3. pound — for dogs
  4. game — a kind of play
  5. ball — a round shape
  6. root — of a plant
  7. cell — a phone
  8. game — a match
  9. firm — a company
  10. rock — to move gently
  11. ball — a dance
  12. rock — a stone
  13. firm — decided
  14. root — of a word
  15. pound — a weight
  16. current — electric
  17. root — the cause
  18. ball — a great time
  19. rock — music
  20. firm — steady
  21. cell — in a prison
  22. pound — to hit hard
  23. current — happening now
  24. current — of water

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