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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. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  2. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  3. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  4. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  5. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  6. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  7. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  8. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  9. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  10. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  11. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  12. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  13. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  14. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  15. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  16. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  17. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  18. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  19. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  20. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  21. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  22. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  23. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  24. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — a company
  2. current — happening now
  3. bear — to put up with
  4. capital — a big letter
  5. content — videos and posts
  6. current — of water
  7. firm — steady
  8. capital — money
  9. track — a path
  10. content — the amount
  11. straw — to clutch at straws
  12. bear — the animal
  13. root — the cause
  14. bear — the animal
  15. firm — decided
  16. straw — dry grass
  17. root — of a plant
  18. straw — a straw man
  19. capital — a city
  20. root — of a word
  21. track — to keep track
  22. track — a song
  23. current — electric
  24. content — happy

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