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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. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  3. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  4. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  5. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  6. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  7. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  8. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  9. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  10. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  11. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  12. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  13. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  14. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  15. I'll be taking the ________________.
  16. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  17. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  18. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  19. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  20. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  21. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  22. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  23. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  24. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.

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

Answer key

  1. current — happening now
  2. tear — from crying
  3. current — of water
  4. track — a path
  5. object — a thing
  6. track — a song
  7. tube — a container
  8. root — the cause
  9. tear — to rip
  10. rock — music
  11. root — of a plant
  12. object — an aim
  13. rock — a stone
  14. current — electric
  15. tube — the underground
  16. present — the time now
  17. root — of a word
  18. tube — in a tire
  19. present — a gift
  20. track — to keep track
  21. rock — to move gently
  22. object — to protest
  23. present — there
  24. tear — from crying

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