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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 120 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. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  2. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  3. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  4. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  5. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  6. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  7. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  8. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  9. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  10. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  11. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  12. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  13. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  14. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  15. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  16. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  17. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  18. When are we going to ________________?
  19. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  20. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  21. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  22. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  23. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  24. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.

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

Answer key

  1. root — the cause
  2. march — the month
  3. current — electric
  4. land — ground
  5. dip — a sauce
  6. dip — to dunk
  7. present — there
  8. pitch — a sports field
  9. pitch — a sales talk
  10. root — of a plant
  11. present — the time now
  12. pitch — completely
  13. root — of a word
  14. kick — with a leg
  15. kick — a thrill
  16. current — happening now
  17. march — music
  18. land — to come down
  19. current — of water
  20. present — a gift
  21. dip — to sink
  22. march — the month
  23. kick — in football
  24. land — a country

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