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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 120 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. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  2. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  3. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  4. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  5. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  6. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  7. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  8. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  9. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  10. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  11. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  12. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  13. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  14. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  15. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  16. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  17. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  18. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  19. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  20. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  21. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  22. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  23. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  24. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.

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

Answer key

  1. current — electric
  2. root — the cause
  3. present — a gift
  4. wax — in the ear
  5. root — of a plant
  6. track — a path
  7. vault — a safe
  8. present — there
  9. present — the time now
  10. root — of a word
  11. vault — an arched ceiling
  12. wax — for sculpting
  13. chip — to eat
  14. chip — in a computer
  15. wax — to grow
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. vault — in gymnastics
  19. current — of water
  20. track — to keep track
  21. chip — for betting
  22. patient — calm and waiting
  23. track — a song
  24. current — happening now

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