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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. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  2. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  3. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  4. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  5. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  6. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  7. The ball is in your ________________.
  8. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  9. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  10. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  11. You don't need to ________________ round.
  12. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  13. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  14. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  15. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  16. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  17. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  18. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  19. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  20. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  21. We're almost out of ________________.
  22. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  23. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  24. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to click
  2. snap — to speak sharply
  3. present — a gift
  4. current — happening now
  5. court — of a king
  6. pop — music
  7. court — for sport
  8. root — the cause
  9. court — of law
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. pop — to visit
  12. present — the time now
  13. snap — to snap out of it
  14. current — of water
  15. rock — a stone
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. current — electric
  18. root — of a word
  19. rock — to move gently
  20. rock — music
  21. pop — soda
  22. present — there
  23. root — of a plant
  24. stick — to attach or keep to

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