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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. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  2. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  3. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  4. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  5. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  6. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  7. I can't ________________ this cold.
  8. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  9. Have you settled on a ________________?
  10. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  11. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  12. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  13. Where did you ________________ them?
  14. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  15. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  16. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  17. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  18. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  19. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  20. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  21. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  22. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  23. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  24. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a face
  2. current — happening now
  3. mug — a cup
  4. current — electric
  5. craft — a handicraft
  6. root — of a word
  7. stand — to bear
  8. craft — a skill
  9. date — on the calendar
  10. toast — the most admired
  11. root — of a plant
  12. date — on the calendar
  13. mug — to rob
  14. stand — on your feet
  15. toast — a drink to someone
  16. date — the fruit
  17. craft — boats
  18. bark — a dog's sound
  19. stand — for spectators
  20. current — of water
  21. bark — to shout
  22. toast — bread
  23. bark — of a tree
  24. root — the cause

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