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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. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  2. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  3. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  4. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  5. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  6. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  7. The ball is in your ________________.
  8. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  9. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  10. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  11. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  12. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  13. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  14. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  15. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  16. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  17. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  18. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  19. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  20. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  21. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  22. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  23. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  24. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. current — of water
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. root — the cause
  5. degree — temperature
  6. current — happening now
  7. court — for sport
  8. mark — a trace
  9. trunk — of an elephant
  10. degree — from a university
  11. mark — to pay attention
  12. can — a tin
  13. degree — an amount
  14. mark — a grade
  15. court — of a king
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. can — to be able to
  18. root — of a plant
  19. court — of law
  20. stick — to attach or keep to
  21. trunk — of a tree
  22. trunk — of a car
  23. current — electric
  24. root — of a word

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