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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. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  2. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  3. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  4. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  5. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  6. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  7. It's one o'clock ________________.
  8. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  9. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  10. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  11. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  12. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  13. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  14. That must've been a ________________.
  15. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  16. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  17. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  18. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  19. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  20. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  21. David sat on the ________________.
  22. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  23. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  24. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. row — a quarrel
  3. current — happening now
  4. root — the cause
  5. kick — with a leg
  6. sharp — clever
  7. sharp — exactly
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. row — a line
  10. rush — hurry
  11. root — of a plant
  12. root — of a word
  13. current — electric
  14. rush — a thrill
  15. swing — music
  16. row — to paddle
  17. rush — to hurry
  18. current — of water
  19. sharp — with an edge
  20. kick — a thrill
  21. swing — to play on
  22. stick — to attach or keep to
  23. swing — in golf
  24. kick — in football

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