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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 116 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. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  3. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  4. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  5. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  6. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  7. How do you ________________ your surname?
  8. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  9. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  10. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  11. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  12. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  13. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  14. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  15. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  16. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  17. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  18. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  19. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  20. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  21. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  22. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  23. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  24. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a plant
  2. current — electric
  3. root — of a word
  4. race — a contest
  5. march — the month
  6. board — a committee
  7. spell — letters
  8. dip — to dunk
  9. march — the month
  10. current — happening now
  11. dip — a sauce
  12. present — the time now
  13. dip — to sink
  14. board — to get on
  15. race — humankind
  16. board — a flat piece
  17. current — of water
  18. march — music
  19. spell — magic
  20. spell — a short time
  21. root — the cause
  22. race — the arms race
  23. present — a gift
  24. present — there

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