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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. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  2. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  3. That was ________________ to happen.
  4. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  5. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  6. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  7. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  8. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  9. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  10. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  11. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  12. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  13. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  14. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  15. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  16. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  17. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  18. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  19. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  20. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  21. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  22. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  23. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  24. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.

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

Answer key

  1. current — of water
  2. fall — the season
  3. bound — certain
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. bass — the fish
  6. bound — obliged
  7. bass — low music
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. bound — tied together
  10. fall — to drop
  11. bat — in an idiom
  12. root — of a plant
  13. root — of a word
  14. current — happening now
  15. cap — a lid
  16. racket — a loud noise
  17. current — electric
  18. bass — the instrument
  19. bat — the animal
  20. root — the cause
  21. fall — to drop
  22. cap — of ice
  23. cap — a hat
  24. bat — for baseball

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