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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 116 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. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  2. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  3. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  4. The ball is in your ________________.
  5. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  6. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  7. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  8. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  9. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  10. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  11. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  12. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  13. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  14. The ________________ took off on time.
  15. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  16. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  17. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  18. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  19. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  20. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  21. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  22. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  23. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  24. Let us try to swim against the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — a professorship
  2. track — a path
  3. court — of law
  4. court — for sport
  5. safe — a strongbox
  6. fall — to drop
  7. fall — to drop
  8. chair — to sit on
  9. plane — in geometry
  10. track — to keep track
  11. current — happening now
  12. root — the cause
  13. current — electric
  14. plane — an aircraft
  15. track — a song
  16. chair — a leader
  17. plane — a tool
  18. root — of a word
  19. fall — the season
  20. court — of a king
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. root — of a plant
  24. current — of water

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