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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. We're almost out of ________________.
  2. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  3. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  4. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  5. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  6. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  7. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  8. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  9. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  10. Don't do anything ________________.
  11. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  12. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  13. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  14. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  15. The tickets are free of ________________.
  16. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  17. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  18. You don't need to ________________ round.
  19. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  20. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  21. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  22. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  23. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  24. I had a ________________ with my boss today.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — soda
  2. craft — a skill
  3. root — of a word
  4. pop — music
  5. row — a line
  6. craft — boats
  7. charge — in control
  8. rash — a series
  9. current — electric
  10. rash — hasty
  11. current — of water
  12. can — a tin
  13. charge — electricity
  14. can — to be able to
  15. charge — a price
  16. current — happening now
  17. can — a tin
  18. pop — to visit
  19. root — of a plant
  20. craft — a handicraft
  21. root — the cause
  22. rash — on the skin
  23. row — to paddle
  24. row — a quarrel

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