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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. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  2. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  3. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  4. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  5. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  6. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  7. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  8. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  9. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  10. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  11. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  12. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  13. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  14. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  15. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  16. Did you ________________ the meat?
  17. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  18. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  19. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  20. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  21. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  22. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  23. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  24. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to rest against
  2. current — of water
  3. root — of a plant
  4. firm — decided
  5. root — of a word
  6. track — to keep track
  7. mark — a trace
  8. club — a group
  9. mark — to pay attention
  10. lean — thin
  11. lean — to bend
  12. club — for dancing
  13. firm — steady
  14. track — a song
  15. season — of the year
  16. season — to add flavour
  17. mark — a grade
  18. club — for golf
  19. season — in sport
  20. track — a path
  21. current — happening now
  22. root — the cause
  23. firm — a company
  24. current — electric

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