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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. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  2. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  3. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  4. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  5. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  6. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  7. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  8. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  9. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  10. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  11. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  12. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  13. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  14. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  15. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  16. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  17. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  18. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  19. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  20. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  21. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  22. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  23. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  24. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a word
  2. root — the cause
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. rest — what's left
  5. can — to be able to
  6. shower — a meteor shower
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. current — of water
  9. pitch — a sports field
  10. branch — of a bank
  11. shower — to wash
  12. can — a tin
  13. fan — to cool the air
  14. branch — a division
  15. current — happening now
  16. shower — rain
  17. branch — of a tree
  18. rest — what's left
  19. rest — a break
  20. current — electric
  21. can — a tin
  22. pitch — completely
  23. root — of a plant
  24. pitch — a sales talk

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