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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. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  2. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  3. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  4. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  5. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  6. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  7. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  8. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  9. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  10. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  11. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  12. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  13. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  14. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  15. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  16. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  17. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  18. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  19. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  20. This piece is in a major ________________.
  21. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  22. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  23. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  24. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.

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

Answer key

  1. current — electric
  2. root — of a word
  3. hand — in cards
  4. content — the amount
  5. track — a song
  6. track — a path
  7. key — for a lock
  8. pass — to spend time
  9. current — happening now
  10. root — the cause
  11. content — happy
  12. root — of a plant
  13. track — to keep track
  14. wake — a trail
  15. hand — part of the body
  16. current — of water
  17. pass — a permit
  18. content — videos and posts
  19. key — the most important part
  20. key — in music
  21. wake — to stop sleeping
  22. wake — before a funeral
  23. hand — help
  24. pass — to succeed

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