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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. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  2. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  3. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  4. The tickets are free of ________________.
  5. False peace will not ________________.
  6. The light ________________ burned out.
  7. I'll be taking the ________________.
  8. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  9. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  10. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  11. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  12. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  13. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  14. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  15. When will it ________________ you to start?
  16. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  17. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  18. I've got to change the light ________________.
  19. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  20. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  21. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  22. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  23. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  24. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a word
  2. tube — in a tire
  3. suit — in cards
  4. charge — a price
  5. last — to go on
  6. bulb — for light
  7. tube — the underground
  8. field — for sport
  9. charge — electricity
  10. current — of water
  11. last — final
  12. field — farmland
  13. current — happening now
  14. charge — in control
  15. suit — to fit
  16. last — finally
  17. tube — a container
  18. bulb — for light
  19. root — of a plant
  20. root — the cause
  21. suit — clothes
  22. current — electric
  23. field — a subject
  24. bulb — of a plant

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