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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. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  2. The ball is in your ________________.
  3. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  4. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  5. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  6. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  7. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  8. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  9. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  10. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  11. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  12. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  13. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  14. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  15. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  16. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  17. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  18. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  19. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  20. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  21. There's no middle ________________.
  22. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  23. Have you found your soul ________________?
  24. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.

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

Answer key

  1. current — of water
  2. court — for sport
  3. root — of a word
  4. staff — employees
  5. track — to keep track
  6. staff — a stick
  7. ground — crushed
  8. track — a song
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. root — the cause
  11. staff — employees
  12. mate — a friend
  13. root — of a plant
  14. safe — a strongbox
  15. current — happening now
  16. current — electric
  17. track — a path
  18. court — of a king
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. court — of law
  21. ground — a position
  22. ground — the earth
  23. mate — a partner
  24. mate — to breed

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