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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. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  2. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  3. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  4. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  5. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  6. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  7. That must've been a ________________.
  8. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  9. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  10. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  11. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  12. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  13. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  14. The ________________ market has crashed.
  15. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  16. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  17. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  18. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  19. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  20. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  21. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  22. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  23. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  24. Let us try to swim against the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. current — electric
  2. root — the cause
  3. stock — a soup base
  4. club — a group
  5. march — the month
  6. march — the month
  7. rush — a thrill
  8. club — for golf
  9. club — for dancing
  10. track — to keep track
  11. track — a path
  12. field — a subject
  13. field — farmland
  14. stock — shares
  15. root — of a word
  16. stock — goods
  17. track — a song
  18. rush — hurry
  19. field — for sport
  20. march — music
  21. root — of a plant
  22. current — happening now
  23. rush — to hurry
  24. current — of water

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