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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. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  2. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  3. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  4. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  5. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  6. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  7. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  8. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  9. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  10. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  11. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  12. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  13. David sat on the ________________.
  14. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  15. When was this ________________ built?
  16. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  17. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  18. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  19. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  20. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  21. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  22. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  23. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  24. Many English words ________________ from Latin.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a dish
  2. spring — of water
  3. current — of water
  4. bowl — a football final
  5. swing — music
  6. pass — to succeed
  7. root — the cause
  8. pass — a permit
  9. current — happening now
  10. swing — in golf
  11. stem — a stem cell
  12. temple — side of the head
  13. swing — to play on
  14. stem — of a plant
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. pass — to spend time
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. root — of a word
  19. current — electric
  20. spring — the season
  21. root — of a plant
  22. spring — a coil
  23. bowl — to roll
  24. stem — to come from

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