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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. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  2. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  3. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  4. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  5. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  6. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  7. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  8. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  9. I can't ________________ this cold.
  10. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  11. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  12. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  13. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  14. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  15. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  16. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  17. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  18. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  19. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  20. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  21. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  22. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  23. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  24. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the vegetable
  2. track — a song
  3. root — the cause
  4. squash — to crush
  5. row — a line
  6. squash — the sport
  7. stand — for spectators
  8. row — to paddle
  9. stand — to bear
  10. track — a path
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. current — of water
  13. mine — an explosive
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. current — happening now
  16. racket — a loud noise
  17. current — electric
  18. track — to keep track
  19. stand — on your feet
  20. mine — belonging to me
  21. root — of a word
  22. mine — for digging
  23. row — a quarrel
  24. root — of a plant

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