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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. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  2. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  3. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  4. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  5. This piece is in a major ________________.
  6. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  7. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  8. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  9. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  10. He is an ace ________________.
  11. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  12. David sat on the ________________.
  13. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  14. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  15. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  16. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  17. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  18. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  19. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  20. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  21. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  22. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  23. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  24. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.

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

Answer key

  1. current — of water
  2. present — a gift
  3. root — of a plant
  4. key — the most important part
  5. key — in music
  6. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. lie — to recline
  10. pitcher — in baseball
  11. current — happening now
  12. swing — to play on
  13. present — the time now
  14. kid — child
  15. present — there
  16. swing — music
  17. swing — in golf
  18. current — electric
  19. root — the cause
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. kid — to tease
  22. key — for a lock
  23. root — of a word
  24. lie — an untruth

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