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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. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  2. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  3. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  4. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  5. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  6. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  7. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  8. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  9. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  10. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  11. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  12. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  13. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  14. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  15. We're on a ________________ here.
  16. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  17. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  18. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  19. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  20. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  21. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  22. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  23. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  24. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — a strongbox
  2. scale — for weighing
  3. root — the cause
  4. march — the month
  5. root — of a word
  6. march — music
  7. wake — to stop sleeping
  8. bear — the animal
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. wake — before a funeral
  11. bear — the animal
  12. current — electric
  13. roll — a cake
  14. wake — a trail
  15. roll — on a roll
  16. scale — size or range
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. bear — to put up with
  19. current — of water
  20. scale — in music
  21. march — the month
  22. current — happening now
  23. roll — a list
  24. root — 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