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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. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  2. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  3. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  4. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  5. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  6. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  7. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  8. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  9. How do you ________________ your surname?
  10. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  11. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  12. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  13. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  14. We're almost out of ________________.
  15. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  16. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  17. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  18. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  19. You don't need to ________________ round.
  20. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  21. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  22. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  23. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  24. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — music
  2. current — electric
  3. present — there
  4. stick — to attach or keep to
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. root — the cause
  7. squash — the vegetable
  8. root — of a word
  9. spell — letters
  10. current — of water
  11. clip — a video
  12. current — happening now
  13. spell — magic
  14. pop — soda
  15. root — of a plant
  16. clip — for paper
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. present — a gift
  19. pop — to visit
  20. squash — to crush
  21. squash — the sport
  22. clip — to cut
  23. present — the time now
  24. spell — a short time

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