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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. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  2. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  3. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  4. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  5. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  6. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  7. That was ________________ to happen.
  8. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  9. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  10. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  11. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  12. My father caught me by the ________________.
  13. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  14. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  15. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  16. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  17. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  18. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  19. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  20. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  21. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  22. Don't do anything ________________.
  23. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  24. Beijing is the ________________ of China.

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

Answer key

  1. current — electric
  2. root — of a plant
  3. prune — the fruit
  4. capital — money
  5. rash — on the skin
  6. rash — a series
  7. bound — certain
  8. bound — obliged
  9. bound — tied together
  10. current — of water
  11. face — part of the head
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. root — the cause
  14. face — to point toward
  15. prune — to trim
  16. capital — a big letter
  17. face — to confront
  18. root — of a word
  19. arm — a part of something
  20. prune — to trim
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. rash — hasty
  23. current — happening now
  24. capital — a city

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