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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. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  2. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  3. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  4. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  5. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  6. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  7. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  8. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  9. That was a fun ________________.
  10. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  11. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  12. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  13. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  14. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  15. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  16. The tickets are free of ________________.
  17. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  18. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  19. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  20. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  21. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  22. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  23. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  24. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a plant
  2. charge — in control
  3. wax — for sculpting
  4. charge — electricity
  5. current — electric
  6. current — of water
  7. game — wild animals
  8. root — of a word
  9. game — a match
  10. file — a line of people
  11. root — the cause
  12. current — happening now
  13. game — a kind of play
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. pound — a weight
  16. charge — a price
  17. wax — in the ear
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. wax — to grow
  20. ruler — a monarch
  21. file — a document
  22. pound — for dogs
  23. file — a tool
  24. pound — to hit hard

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