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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. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  3. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  4. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  5. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  6. I'll be taking the ________________.
  7. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  8. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  9. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  10. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  11. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  12. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  13. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  14. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  15. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  16. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  17. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  18. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  19. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  20. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  21. False peace will not ________________.
  22. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  23. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  24. When are we going to ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a plant
  2. racket — a loud noise
  3. root — the cause
  4. last — final
  5. current — happening now
  6. tube — the underground
  7. squash — the vegetable
  8. root — of a word
  9. dip — a sauce
  10. land — a country
  11. tube — a container
  12. dip — to sink
  13. squash — the sport
  14. squash — to crush
  15. dip — to dunk
  16. current — of water
  17. tube — in a tire
  18. land — ground
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. current — electric
  21. last — to go on
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. last — finally
  24. land — to come down

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