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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. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  2. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  3. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  4. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  5. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  6. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  7. It's one o'clock ________________.
  8. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  9. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  10. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  11. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  12. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  13. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  14. David sat on the ________________.
  15. False peace will not ________________.
  16. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  17. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  18. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  19. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  20. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  21. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  22. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  23. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  24. At ________________, we arrived at the village.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. mark — a grade
  3. current — of water
  4. rock — to move gently
  5. current — electric
  6. root — of a plant
  7. sharp — exactly
  8. rock — music
  9. root — the cause
  10. root — of a word
  11. swing — in golf
  12. sharp — clever
  13. stick — to attach or keep to
  14. swing — to play on
  15. last — to go on
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. mark — a trace
  18. sharp — with an edge
  19. last — final
  20. mark — to pay attention
  21. swing — music
  22. rock — a stone
  23. current — happening now
  24. last — finally

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