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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. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  2. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  3. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  4. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  5. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  6. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  7. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  8. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  9. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  10. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  11. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  12. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  13. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  14. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  15. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  16. He is an ace ________________.
  17. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  18. That was a fun ________________.
  19. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  20. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  21. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  22. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  23. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  24. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — lets stay
  2. game — a kind of play
  3. root — of a word
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. track — a song
  6. current — electric
  7. game — wild animals
  8. root — of a plant
  9. current — of water
  10. club — a group
  11. club — for golf
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. track — a path
  15. track — to keep track
  16. pitcher — in baseball
  17. leaves — to go away
  18. game — a match
  19. leaves — of a tree
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. root — the cause
  22. fan — to cool the air
  23. current — happening now
  24. club — for dancing

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