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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 124 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. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  3. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  4. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  5. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  6. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  7. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  8. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  9. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  10. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  11. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  12. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  13. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  14. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  15. We're almost out of ________________.
  16. When are we going to ________________?
  17. You don't need to ________________ round.
  18. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  19. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  20. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  21. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  22. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  23. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  24. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.

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

Answer key

  1. current — happening now
  2. current — electric
  3. current — of water
  4. branch — of a bank
  5. root — of a word
  6. vault — an arched ceiling
  7. lie — to recline
  8. pop — music
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. march — the month
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. root — the cause
  13. march — music
  14. march — the month
  15. pop — soda
  16. land — to come down
  17. pop — to visit
  18. branch — of a tree
  19. land — ground
  20. land — a country
  21. vault — a safe
  22. branch — a division
  23. root — of a plant
  24. vault — in gymnastics

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