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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. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  2. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  3. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  4. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  5. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  6. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  7. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  8. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  9. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  10. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  11. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  12. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  13. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  14. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  15. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  16. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  17. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  18. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  19. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  20. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  21. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  22. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  23. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  24. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.

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

Answer key

  1. net — in sport
  2. spring — a coil
  3. track — to keep track
  4. root — of a plant
  5. vault — a safe
  6. root — the cause
  7. net — for catching
  8. current — happening now
  9. lean — to rest against
  10. track — a song
  11. lean — thin
  12. spring — the season
  13. pound — to hit hard
  14. pound — a weight
  15. current — electric
  16. lean — to bend
  17. net — after costs
  18. spring — of water
  19. root — of a word
  20. pound — for dogs
  21. vault — an arched ceiling
  22. current — of water
  23. vault — in gymnastics
  24. track — a path

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