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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 a dandelion is edible, too.
  2. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  3. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  4. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  5. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  6. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  7. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  8. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  9. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  10. I can't ________________ this cold.
  11. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  12. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  13. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  14. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  15. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  16. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  17. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  18. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  19. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  20. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  21. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  22. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  23. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  24. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a plant
  2. staff — employees
  3. mine — belonging to me
  4. current — happening now
  5. firm — a company
  6. current — of water
  7. current — electric
  8. object — an aim
  9. mine — an explosive
  10. stand — to bear
  11. firm — steady
  12. object — a thing
  13. root — of a word
  14. object — to protest
  15. firm — decided
  16. bore — to drill
  17. staff — employees
  18. bore — to tire
  19. root — the cause
  20. bore — gave birth
  21. staff — a stick
  22. mine — for digging
  23. stand — on your feet
  24. stand — for spectators

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