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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. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  2. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  3. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  4. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  5. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  6. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  7. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  8. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  9. I'll be taking the ________________.
  10. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  11. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  12. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  13. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  14. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  15. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  16. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  17. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  18. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  19. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  20. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  21. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  22. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  23. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  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. mine — an explosive
  3. root — the cause
  4. current — of water
  5. row — a quarrel
  6. tube — a container
  7. bowl — a football final
  8. tube — in a tire
  9. tube — the underground
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. root — of a plant
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. straw — to clutch at straws
  14. mine — belonging to me
  15. straw — a straw man
  16. perch — the fish
  17. bowl — to roll
  18. row — to paddle
  19. row — a line
  20. bowl — a dish
  21. root — of a word
  22. straw — dry grass
  23. mine — for digging
  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