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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. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  2. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  3. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  4. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  5. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  6. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  7. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  8. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  9. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  10. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  11. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  12. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  13. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  14. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  15. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  16. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  17. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  18. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  19. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  20. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  21. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  22. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  23. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  24. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — in an idiom
  2. board — a flat piece
  3. root — the cause
  4. root — of a word
  5. content — the amount
  6. current — of water
  7. root — of a plant
  8. mark — to pay attention
  9. current — electric
  10. clip — a video
  11. face — to point toward
  12. face — to confront
  13. bat — the animal
  14. clip — for paper
  15. content — videos and posts
  16. board — a committee
  17. face — part of the head
  18. content — happy
  19. mark — a trace
  20. board — to get on
  21. current — happening now
  22. bat — for baseball
  23. mark — a grade
  24. clip — to cut

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