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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. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  2. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  3. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  4. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  5. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  6. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  7. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  8. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  9. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  10. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  11. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  12. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  13. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  14. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  15. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  16. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  17. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  18. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  19. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  20. The ________________ market has crashed.
  21. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  22. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  23. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  24. What's the difference between broth and ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. shower — a meteor shower
  2. current — electric
  3. current — of water
  4. root — the cause
  5. kid — child
  6. foot — part of the body
  7. current — happening now
  8. shower — rain
  9. content — happy
  10. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  11. craft — a handicraft
  12. content — videos and posts
  13. root — of a word
  14. shower — to wash
  15. content — the amount
  16. craft — a skill
  17. foot — a measure
  18. kid — to tease
  19. stock — goods
  20. stock — shares
  21. root — of a plant
  22. craft — boats
  23. foot — the bottom
  24. stock — a soup base

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