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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. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  2. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  3. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  4. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  5. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  6. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  7. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  8. You don't need to ________________ round.
  9. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  10. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  11. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  12. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  13. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  14. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  15. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  16. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  17. We're almost out of ________________.
  18. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  19. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  20. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  21. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  22. The ball is in your ________________.
  23. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  24. He is as ________________ as a wolf.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to bend
  2. root — of a word
  3. can — to be able to
  4. current — happening now
  5. can — a tin
  6. lean — to rest against
  7. root — of a plant
  8. pop — to visit
  9. fine — all right
  10. fine — high quality
  11. root — the cause
  12. current — of water
  13. rule — a law
  14. fine — a penalty
  15. rule — to rule out
  16. court — of a king
  17. pop — soda
  18. rule — government
  19. pop — music
  20. current — electric
  21. can — a tin
  22. court — for sport
  23. court — of law
  24. lean — thin

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