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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. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  2. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  3. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  4. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  5. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  6. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  7. When was this ________________ built?
  8. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  9. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  10. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  11. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  12. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  13. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  14. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  15. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  16. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  17. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  18. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  19. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  20. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  21. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  22. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  23. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  24. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.

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

Answer key

  1. field — a subject
  2. root — the cause
  3. current — happening now
  4. cap — a hat
  5. firm — steady
  6. clip — for paper
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. current — of water
  9. clip — a video
  10. field — for sport
  11. wave — a sudden rise
  12. cap — a lid
  13. field — farmland
  14. wave — with your hand
  15. temple — side of the head
  16. firm — a company
  17. cap — of ice
  18. clip — to cut
  19. root — of a word
  20. current — electric
  21. root — of a plant
  22. wave — of the sea
  23. firm — decided
  24. temple — a place of worship

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