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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 120 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. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  2. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  3. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  4. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  5. We're almost out of ________________.
  6. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  7. That was ________________ to happen.
  8. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  9. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  10. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  11. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  12. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  13. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  14. You don't need to ________________ round.
  15. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  16. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  17. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  18. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  19. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  20. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  21. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  22. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  23. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  24. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — tied together
  2. pop — music
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. dip — to sink
  5. pop — soda
  6. fork — to eat with
  7. bound — certain
  8. dip — to dunk
  9. fan — to cool the air
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. bound — obliged
  12. fork — a garden tool
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. pop — to visit
  15. calf — of the leg
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. fork — in a road
  18. current — of water
  19. dip — a sauce
  20. current — electric
  21. root — the cause
  22. current — happening now
  23. root — of a word
  24. root — of a plant

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