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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. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  2. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  3. That must've been a ________________.
  4. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  5. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  6. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  7. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  8. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  9. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  10. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  11. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  12. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  13. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  14. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  15. It's one o'clock ________________.
  16. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  17. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  18. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  19. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  20. Did you ________________ the meat?
  21. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  22. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  23. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  24. The water is too ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. current — happening now
  2. cold — the Cold War
  3. rush — a thrill
  4. cold — an illness
  5. current — of water
  6. prune — to trim
  7. current — electric
  8. rush — hurry
  9. firm — steady
  10. firm — a company
  11. prune — to trim
  12. firm — decided
  13. rush — to hurry
  14. root — of a word
  15. sharp — exactly
  16. sharp — clever
  17. prune — the fruit
  18. root — of a plant
  19. season — in sport
  20. season — to add flavour
  21. season — of the year
  22. sharp — with an edge
  23. root — the cause
  24. cold — not warm

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