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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. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  2. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  3. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  4. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  5. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  6. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  7. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  8. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  9. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  10. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  11. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  12. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  13. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  14. David sat on the ________________.
  15. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  16. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  17. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  18. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  19. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  20. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  21. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  22. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  23. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  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. swing — music
  2. net — for catching
  3. current — of water
  4. bear — the animal
  5. rule — a law
  6. current — electric
  7. net — after costs
  8. current — happening now
  9. fork — to eat with
  10. rule — to rule out
  11. fork — a garden tool
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. bear — the animal
  14. swing — to play on
  15. swing — in golf
  16. fork — in a road
  17. calf — of the leg
  18. net — in sport
  19. rule — government
  20. root — of a word
  21. bear — to put up with
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. root — of a plant
  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