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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. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  2. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  3. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  4. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  5. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  6. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  7. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  8. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  9. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  10. The King held a masked ________________.
  11. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  12. He works in a ________________ mill.
  13. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  14. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  15. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  16. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  17. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  18. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  19. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  20. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  21. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  22. She's very handy with a ________________.
  23. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  24. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a plant
  2. bank — for money
  3. current — of water
  4. jam — to spread on bread
  5. bank — for money
  6. ball — a great time
  7. bank — of a river
  8. current — electric
  9. jam — a tight spot
  10. ball — a dance
  11. dip — a sauce
  12. saw — the tool
  13. dip — to dunk
  14. current — happening now
  15. ball — a round shape
  16. saw — past of 'see'
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. patient — calm and waiting
  19. root — the cause
  20. root — of a word
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. saw — the tool
  23. jam — in traffic
  24. dip — to sink

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