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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. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  2. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  3. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  4. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  5. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  6. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  7. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  8. When are we going to ________________?
  9. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  10. We're on a ________________ here.
  11. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  12. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  13. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  14. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  15. That must've been a ________________.
  16. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  17. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  18. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  19. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  20. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  21. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  22. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  23. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  24. Did you ________________ the button?

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

Answer key

  1. root — the cause
  2. land — ground
  3. bass — the instrument
  4. current — of water
  5. shower — to wash
  6. root — of a word
  7. land — a country
  8. land — to come down
  9. shower — a meteor shower
  10. roll — on a roll
  11. root — of a plant
  12. rush — hurry
  13. rush — to hurry
  14. current — electric
  15. rush — a thrill
  16. roll — a list
  17. press — a publisher
  18. bass — low music
  19. roll — a cake
  20. press — newspapers
  21. bass — the fish
  22. shower — rain
  23. current — happening now
  24. press — to push

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