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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. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  3. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  4. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  5. This piece is in a major ________________.
  6. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  7. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  8. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  9. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  10. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  11. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  12. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  13. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  14. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  15. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  16. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  17. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  18. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  19. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  20. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  21. Did you ________________ the meat?
  22. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  23. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  24. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. current — happening now
  2. present — the time now
  3. root — of a word
  4. present — there
  5. key — in music
  6. cap — a lid
  7. file — a document
  8. bat — for baseball
  9. season — in sport
  10. bat — the animal
  11. cap — of ice
  12. season — of the year
  13. root — of a plant
  14. root — the cause
  15. present — a gift
  16. current — of water
  17. file — a line of people
  18. bat — in an idiom
  19. key — the most important part
  20. file — a tool
  21. season — to add flavour
  22. key — for a lock
  23. cap — a hat
  24. current — electric

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