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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. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  2. Don't do anything ________________.
  3. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  4. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  5. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  6. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  7. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  8. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  9. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  10. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  11. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  12. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  13. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  14. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  15. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  16. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  17. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  18. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  19. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  20. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  21. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  22. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  23. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  24. It's one o'clock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — to put up with
  2. rash — hasty
  3. cue — a hint
  4. sharp — clever
  5. sharp — with an edge
  6. jam — a tight spot
  7. root — of a plant
  8. bear — the animal
  9. current — of water
  10. cue — for pool
  11. current — electric
  12. jam — to spread on bread
  13. pass — to succeed
  14. rash — on the skin
  15. pass — a permit
  16. pass — to spend time
  17. rash — a series
  18. root — of a word
  19. root — the cause
  20. bear — the animal
  21. current — happening now
  22. cue — a signal
  23. jam — in traffic
  24. sharp — exactly

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