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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. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  2. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  3. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  4. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  5. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  6. What do you think of the new ________________?
  7. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  8. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  9. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  10. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  11. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  12. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  13. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  14. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  15. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  16. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  17. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  18. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  19. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  20. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  21. There's no middle ________________.
  22. The ________________ went through the wall.
  23. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  24. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.

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

Answer key

  1. current — of water
  2. mark — to pay attention
  3. cabinet — a cupboard
  4. ground — crushed
  5. mark — a trace
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. mark — a grade
  8. racket — a loud noise
  9. bear — to put up with
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. root — of a plant
  12. bear — the animal
  13. ground — the earth
  14. nail — on a finger
  15. bear — the animal
  16. current — happening now
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. root — of a word
  19. current — electric
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. ground — a position
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. root — the cause
  24. nail — for a hammer

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