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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. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  2. You don't need to ________________ round.
  3. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  4. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  5. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  6. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  7. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  8. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  9. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  10. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  11. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  12. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  13. We're almost out of ________________.
  14. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  15. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  16. Where did you ________________ them?
  17. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  18. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  19. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  20. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  21. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  22. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  23. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  24. Hold the papers together with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. current — of water
  2. pop — to visit
  3. net — after costs
  4. root — of a plant
  5. mug — a face
  6. staff — employees
  7. root — the cause
  8. clip — a video
  9. pop — music
  10. firm — steady
  11. net — for catching
  12. firm — decided
  13. pop — soda
  14. current — happening now
  15. clip — to cut
  16. mug — to rob
  17. root — of a word
  18. staff — a stick
  19. staff — employees
  20. mug — a cup
  21. firm — a company
  22. current — electric
  23. net — in sport
  24. clip — for paper

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