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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. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  2. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  3. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  4. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  5. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  6. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  7. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  8. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  9. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  10. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  11. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  12. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  13. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  14. Don't do anything ________________.
  15. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  16. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  17. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  18. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  19. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  20. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  21. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  22. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  23. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  24. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.

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

Answer key

  1. current — electric
  2. dip — a sauce
  3. root — of a plant
  4. root — the cause
  5. pitch — completely
  6. march — the month
  7. calf — of the leg
  8. dip — to sink
  9. march — the month
  10. root — of a word
  11. current — happening now
  12. capital — a city
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. rash — hasty
  15. capital — a big letter
  16. capital — money
  17. dip — to dunk
  18. pitch — a sales talk
  19. pitch — a sports field
  20. march — music
  21. rash — a series
  22. current — of water
  23. rash — on the skin
  24. calf — a young animal

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