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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. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  2. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  3. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  4. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  5. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  6. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  7. I've got to change the light ________________.
  8. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  9. He works in a ________________ mill.
  10. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  11. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  12. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  13. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  14. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  15. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  16. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  17. The light ________________ burned out.
  18. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  19. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  20. She's very handy with a ________________.
  21. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  22. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  23. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  24. ________________ you help me carry this box?

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a lid
  2. cap — of ice
  3. cap — a hat
  4. can — a tin
  5. file — a document
  6. root — the cause
  7. bulb — for light
  8. rule — a law
  9. saw — the tool
  10. bulb — of a plant
  11. rule — to rule out
  12. file — a tool
  13. file — a line of people
  14. current — of water
  15. saw — past of 'see'
  16. current — happening now
  17. bulb — for light
  18. root — of a plant
  19. rule — government
  20. saw — the tool
  21. can — a tin
  22. root — of a word
  23. current — electric
  24. can — to be able to

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