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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. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  2. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  3. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  4. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  5. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  6. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  7. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  8. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  9. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  10. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  11. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  12. Did you ________________ the meat?
  13. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  14. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  15. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  16. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  17. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  18. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  19. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  20. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  21. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  22. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  23. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  24. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!

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

Answer key

  1. current — of water
  2. file — a tool
  3. mine — for digging
  4. root — the cause
  5. content — the amount
  6. season — of the year
  7. bear — the animal
  8. file — a line of people
  9. bear — the animal
  10. current — electric
  11. root — of a word
  12. season — to add flavour
  13. content — happy
  14. root — of a plant
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. mine — an explosive
  17. file — a document
  18. mine — belonging to me
  19. content — videos and posts
  20. stick — to attach or keep to
  21. season — in sport
  22. current — happening now
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. bear — to put up with

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