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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. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  2. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  3. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  4. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  5. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  6. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  7. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  8. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  9. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  10. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  11. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  12. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  13. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  14. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  15. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  16. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  17. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  18. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  19. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  20. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  21. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  22. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  23. Have you found your soul ________________?
  24. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a friend
  2. rock — music
  3. root — the cause
  4. spring — of water
  5. current — of water
  6. bass — the fish
  7. spring — the season
  8. fork — in a road
  9. current — electric
  10. spring — a coil
  11. root — of a word
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. rock — a stone
  14. mate — to breed
  15. bass — the instrument
  16. bass — low music
  17. fork — to eat with
  18. root — of a plant
  19. current — happening now
  20. fork — a garden tool
  21. rock — to move gently
  22. lie — to recline
  23. mate — a partner
  24. lie — an untruth

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