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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. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  2. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  3. I can't ________________ this cold.
  4. The ________________ went through the wall.
  5. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  6. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  7. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  8. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  9. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  10. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  11. I'll be taking the ________________.
  12. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  13. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  14. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  15. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  16. Don't do anything ________________.
  17. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  18. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  19. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  20. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  21. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  22. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  23. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  24. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a word
  2. degree — from a university
  3. stand — to bear
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. tube — a container
  6. fine — a penalty
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. fine — all right
  9. rash — a series
  10. tube — in a tire
  11. tube — the underground
  12. root — of a plant
  13. rash — on the skin
  14. current — happening now
  15. stand — on your feet
  16. rash — hasty
  17. degree — an amount
  18. fine — high quality
  19. nail — on a finger
  20. degree — temperature
  21. root — the cause
  22. current — of water
  23. current — electric
  24. stand — for spectators

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