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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. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  2. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  3. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  4. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  5. The ________________ went through the wall.
  6. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  7. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  8. Did you ________________ the meat?
  9. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  10. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  11. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  12. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  13. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  14. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  15. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  16. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  17. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  18. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  19. There's no middle ________________.
  20. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  21. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  22. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  23. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  24. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. current — electric
  3. root — the cause
  4. fine — high quality
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. nail — on a finger
  7. stick — to attach or keep to
  8. season — to add flavour
  9. season — in sport
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. chest — of your body
  12. root — of a plant
  13. chest — a box
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. season — of the year
  16. current — happening now
  17. chest — of your body
  18. fine — all right
  19. ground — a position
  20. ground — crushed
  21. fine — a penalty
  22. ground — the earth
  23. current — of water
  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