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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 120 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. I can't ________________ this cold.
  2. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  3. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  4. You don't need to ________________ round.
  5. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  6. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  7. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  8. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  9. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  10. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  11. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  12. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  13. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  14. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  15. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  16. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  17. We're almost out of ________________.
  18. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  19. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  20. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  21. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  22. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  23. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  24. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?

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

Answer key

  1. stand — to bear
  2. foot — the bottom
  3. object — a thing
  4. pop — to visit
  5. object — an aim
  6. current — happening now
  7. current — of water
  8. foot — part of the body
  9. kid — child
  10. root — of a word
  11. present — there
  12. stand — for spectators
  13. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  14. kid — to tease
  15. stand — on your feet
  16. object — to protest
  17. pop — soda
  18. pop — music
  19. foot — a measure
  20. current — electric
  21. present — the time now
  22. root — the cause
  23. root — of a plant
  24. present — a gift

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