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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.

Make a worksheet

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. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  2. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  3. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  4. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  5. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  6. My father caught me by the ________________.
  7. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  8. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  9. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  10. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  11. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  12. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  13. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  14. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  15. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  16. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  17. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  18. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  19. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  20. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  21. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  22. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  23. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  24. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — to cool the air
  2. squash — the sport
  3. arm — a part of something
  4. root — of a plant
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. prune — to trim
  8. root — the cause
  9. prune — the fruit
  10. root — of a word
  11. object — to protest
  12. capital — a big letter
  13. prune — to trim
  14. object — an aim
  15. current — of water
  16. capital — money
  17. object — a thing
  18. capital — a city
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. current — electric
  21. squash — to crush
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. current — happening now
  24. squash — the vegetable

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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