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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. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  3. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  4. We're on a ________________ here.
  5. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  6. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  7. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  8. There's no middle ________________.
  9. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  10. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  11. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  12. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  13. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  14. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  15. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  16. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  17. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  18. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  19. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  20. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  21. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  22. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  23. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  24. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.

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

Answer key

  1. current — electric
  2. kick — in football
  3. current — of water
  4. roll — on a roll
  5. current — happening now
  6. shower — rain
  7. shower — a meteor shower
  8. ground — a position
  9. root — of a word
  10. trunk — of an elephant
  11. shower — to wash
  12. trunk — of a tree
  13. root — the cause
  14. kick — with a leg
  15. roll — a list
  16. kick — a thrill
  17. ground — the earth
  18. root — of a plant
  19. pit — a fruit stone
  20. trunk — of a car
  21. roll — a cake
  22. pit — a hole
  23. ground — crushed
  24. pit — in a race

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