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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. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  2. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  3. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  4. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  5. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  6. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  7. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  8. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  9. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  10. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  11. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  12. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  13. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  14. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  15. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  16. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  17. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  18. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  19. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  20. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  21. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  22. My mare is ________________ in color.
  23. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  24. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a plant
  2. squash — the vegetable
  3. current — happening now
  4. file — a document
  5. net — after costs
  6. bay — a part of the sea
  7. current — electric
  8. current — of water
  9. root — the cause
  10. file — a tool
  11. bay — to keep at bay
  12. squash — to crush
  13. net — for catching
  14. capital — money
  15. can — a tin
  16. capital — a city
  17. squash — the sport
  18. root — of a word
  19. capital — a big letter
  20. net — in sport
  21. file — a line of people
  22. bay — a horse colour
  23. can — to be able to
  24. can — a tin

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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