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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 120 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. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  2. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  3. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  4. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  5. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  6. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  7. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  8. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  9. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  10. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  11. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  12. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  13. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  14. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  15. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  16. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  17. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  18. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  19. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  20. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  21. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  22. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  23. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  24. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the fish
  2. bear — the animal
  3. track — a song
  4. track — to keep track
  5. root — the cause
  6. track — a path
  7. cap — a hat
  8. leaves — of a tree
  9. bass — low music
  10. current — of water
  11. leaves — to go away
  12. cap — of ice
  13. cap — a lid
  14. squash — the vegetable
  15. bear — the animal
  16. leaves — lets stay
  17. squash — the sport
  18. bear — to put up with
  19. current — electric
  20. root — of a plant
  21. bass — the instrument
  22. squash — to crush
  23. root — of a word
  24. current — happening now

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