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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. David sat on the ________________.
  2. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  3. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  4. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  5. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  6. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  7. I can't ________________ this cold.
  8. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  9. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  10. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  11. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  12. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  13. Did you ________________ the meat?
  14. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  15. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  16. It's one o'clock ________________.
  17. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  18. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  19. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  20. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  21. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  22. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  23. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  24. He's quite ________________, isn't he?

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

Answer key

  1. swing — to play on
  2. root — of a plant
  3. current — of water
  4. season — of the year
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. band — a rubber band
  7. stand — to bear
  8. band — a ring
  9. swing — in golf
  10. band — a music group
  11. root — the cause
  12. root — of a word
  13. season — to add flavour
  14. stand — on your feet
  15. swing — music
  16. sharp — exactly
  17. current — electric
  18. current — happening now
  19. season — in sport
  20. stand — for spectators
  21. mouse — for a computer
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. sharp — with an edge
  24. sharp — clever

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