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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 116 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. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  2. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  3. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  4. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  5. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  6. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  7. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  8. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  9. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  10. Have you found your soul ________________?
  11. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  12. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  13. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  14. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  15. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  16. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  17. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  18. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  19. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  20. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  21. I'll be taking the ________________.
  22. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  23. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  24. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?

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

Answer key

  1. fine — all right
  2. fine — a penalty
  3. fine — high quality
  4. current — of water
  5. root — of a plant
  6. root — of a word
  7. staff — employees
  8. tube — a container
  9. object — a thing
  10. mate — a partner
  11. staff — employees
  12. staff — a stick
  13. current — happening now
  14. stick — to attach or keep to
  15. object — an aim
  16. tube — in a tire
  17. root — the cause
  18. mate — to breed
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. current — electric
  21. tube — the underground
  22. mate — a friend
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. object — to protest

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