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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. We're almost out of ________________.
  3. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  4. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  5. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  6. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  7. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  8. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  9. The ball is in your ________________.
  10. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  11. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  12. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  13. You don't need to ________________ round.
  14. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  15. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  16. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  17. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  18. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  19. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  20. The ________________ went through the wall.
  21. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  22. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  23. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  24. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.

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

Answer key

  1. current — electric
  2. pop — soda
  3. root — of a plant
  4. straw — a straw man
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. court — of a king
  7. root — the cause
  8. current — happening now
  9. court — for sport
  10. cap — a hat
  11. straw — dry grass
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. pop — to visit
  14. pop — music
  15. calf — of the leg
  16. straw — to clutch at straws
  17. nail — on a finger
  18. current — of water
  19. court — of law
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. root — of a word
  22. cap — of ice
  23. cap — a lid
  24. calf — a young animal

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