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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. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  2. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  3. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  4. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  5. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  6. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  7. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  8. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  9. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  10. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  11. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  12. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  13. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  14. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  15. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  16. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  17. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  18. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  19. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  20. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  21. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  22. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  23. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  24. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. craft — boats
  3. current — happening now
  4. root — the cause
  5. trunk — of a car
  6. current — of water
  7. craft — a handicraft
  8. craft — a skill
  9. bear — to put up with
  10. field — for sport
  11. field — a subject
  12. degree — temperature
  13. field — farmland
  14. degree — from a university
  15. trunk — of an elephant
  16. current — electric
  17. prune — the fruit
  18. prune — to trim
  19. prune — to trim
  20. degree — an amount
  21. root — of a plant
  22. bear — the animal
  23. trunk — of a tree
  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