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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. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  2. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  3. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  4. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  5. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  6. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  7. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  8. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  9. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  10. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  11. What do you think of the new ________________?
  12. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  13. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  14. We're on a ________________ here.
  15. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  16. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  17. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  18. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  19. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  20. Don't do anything ________________.
  21. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  22. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  23. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  24. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — on the skin
  2. bore — to tire
  3. current — of water
  4. track — a song
  5. bore — gave birth
  6. root — the cause
  7. roll — a cake
  8. rash — a series
  9. track — to keep track
  10. cabinet — a cupboard
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. squash — the vegetable
  13. track — a path
  14. roll — on a roll
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. current — electric
  17. squash — to crush
  18. root — of a word
  19. roll — a list
  20. rash — hasty
  21. bore — to drill
  22. squash — the sport
  23. root — of a plant
  24. current — happening now

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