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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 124 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. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  2. That must've been a ________________.
  3. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  4. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  5. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  6. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  7. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  8. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  9. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  10. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  11. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  12. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  13. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  14. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  15. It's one o'clock ________________.
  16. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  17. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  18. When are we going to ________________?
  19. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  20. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  21. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  22. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  23. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  24. You shouldn't ________________ things.

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

Answer key

  1. current — of water
  2. rush — a thrill
  3. sharp — clever
  4. stick — to attach or keep to
  5. root — of a plant
  6. root — the cause
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. rush — hurry
  9. land — ground
  10. current — happening now
  11. track — to keep track
  12. cap — a lid
  13. root — of a word
  14. land — a country
  15. sharp — exactly
  16. sharp — with an edge
  17. track — a path
  18. land — to come down
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. cap — a hat
  21. current — electric
  22. track — a song
  23. cap — of ice
  24. rush — to hurry

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