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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. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  2. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  3. Don't do anything ________________.
  4. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  5. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  6. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  7. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  8. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  9. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  10. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  11. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  12. That was a fun ________________.
  13. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  14. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  15. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  16. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  17. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  18. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  19. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  20. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  21. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  22. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  23. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  24. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.

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

Answer key

  1. current — happening now
  2. current — of water
  3. rash — hasty
  4. root — of a word
  5. net — in sport
  6. track — a song
  7. cue — a hint
  8. current — electric
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. root — the cause
  11. rash — on the skin
  12. game — a match
  13. game — wild animals
  14. track — a path
  15. net — for catching
  16. track — to keep track
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. cue — a signal
  19. net — after costs
  20. perch — the fish
  21. cue — for pool
  22. root — of a plant
  23. game — a kind of play
  24. rash — a series

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