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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. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  2. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  3. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  4. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  5. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  6. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  7. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  8. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  9. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  10. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  11. My mare is ________________ in color.
  12. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  13. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  14. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  15. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  16. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  17. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  18. It's one o'clock ________________.
  19. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  20. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  21. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  22. When are we going to ________________?
  23. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  24. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a part of the sea
  2. land — a country
  3. current — electric
  4. track — a path
  5. sharp — clever
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. track — a song
  8. sharp — with an edge
  9. land — ground
  10. dip — a sauce
  11. bay — a horse colour
  12. safe — a strongbox
  13. current — of water
  14. root — of a plant
  15. track — to keep track
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. bay — to keep at bay
  18. sharp — exactly
  19. root — of a word
  20. dip — to dunk
  21. current — happening now
  22. land — to come down
  23. dip — to sink
  24. root — the cause

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