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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. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  2. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  3. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  4. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  5. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  6. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  7. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  8. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  9. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  10. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  11. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  12. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  13. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  14. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  15. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  16. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  17. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  18. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  19. The tickets are free of ________________.
  20. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  21. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  22. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  23. That must've been a ________________.
  24. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a line of people
  2. file — a tool
  3. root — of a plant
  4. current — electric
  5. root — of a word
  6. charge — electricity
  7. band — a music group
  8. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  9. kid — child
  10. chair — a professorship
  11. chair — a leader
  12. current — of water
  13. rush — hurry
  14. chair — to sit on
  15. band — a ring
  16. rush — to hurry
  17. file — a document
  18. current — happening now
  19. charge — a price
  20. kid — to tease
  21. root — the cause
  22. charge — in control
  23. rush — a thrill
  24. band — a rubber band

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