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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. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  2. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  3. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  4. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  5. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  6. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  7. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  8. David sat on the ________________.
  9. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  10. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  11. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  12. I can't ________________ this cold.
  13. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  14. That was a fun ________________.
  15. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  16. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  17. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  18. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  19. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  20. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  21. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  22. Have you settled on a ________________?
  23. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  24. The polar ice ________________ is melting.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — music
  2. face — to point toward
  3. root — the cause
  4. face — to confront
  5. current — happening now
  6. root — of a word
  7. root — of a plant
  8. swing — to play on
  9. current — of water
  10. cap — a lid
  11. current — electric
  12. stand — to bear
  13. game — wild animals
  14. game — a match
  15. game — a kind of play
  16. stand — for spectators
  17. face — part of the head
  18. cap — a hat
  19. swing — in golf
  20. date — on the calendar
  21. date — the fruit
  22. date — on the calendar
  23. stand — on your feet
  24. cap — of ice

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