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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. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  2. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  3. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  4. You don't need to ________________ round.
  5. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  6. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  7. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  8. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  9. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  10. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  11. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  12. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  13. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  14. My mare is ________________ in color.
  15. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  16. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  17. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  18. We're almost out of ________________.
  19. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  20. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  21. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  22. That was a fun ________________.
  23. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  24. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — to keep at bay
  2. current — of water
  3. squash — to crush
  4. pop — to visit
  5. straw — dry grass
  6. squash — the sport
  7. game — a kind of play
  8. straw — a straw man
  9. root — of a plant
  10. present — a gift
  11. bay — a part of the sea
  12. root — the cause
  13. current — electric
  14. bay — a horse colour
  15. straw — to clutch at straws
  16. pop — music
  17. present — there
  18. pop — soda
  19. current — happening now
  20. squash — the vegetable
  21. root — of a word
  22. game — a match
  23. game — wild animals
  24. present — the time now

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