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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 124 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. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  2. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  3. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  4. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  5. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  6. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  7. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  8. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  9. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  10. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  11. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  12. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  13. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  14. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  15. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  16. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  17. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  18. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  19. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  20. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  21. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  22. My father caught me by the ________________.
  23. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  24. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. current — electric
  2. track — a song
  3. trunk — of a car
  4. trunk — of a tree
  5. drill — army training
  6. drill — the tool
  7. current — of water
  8. snap — to click
  9. root — of a word
  10. snap — to snap out of it
  11. cap — of ice
  12. drill — a practice
  13. root — of a plant
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. current — happening now
  16. trunk — of an elephant
  17. track — to keep track
  18. cap — a hat
  19. snap — to speak sharply
  20. track — a path
  21. cap — a lid
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. arm — a part of something
  24. root — the cause

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