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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. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  2. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  3. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  4. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  5. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  6. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  7. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  8. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  9. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  10. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  11. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  12. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  13. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  14. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  15. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  16. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  17. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  18. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  19. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  20. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  21. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  22. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  23. There's no middle ________________.
  24. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. current — happening now
  2. ground — the earth
  3. rock — a stone
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. rock — music
  6. ground — crushed
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. race — the arms race
  9. chest — a box
  10. chest — of your body
  11. race — humankind
  12. root — of a plant
  13. race — a contest
  14. root — the cause
  15. root — of a word
  16. safe — a strongbox
  17. rock — to move gently
  18. clip — a video
  19. clip — for paper
  20. current — electric
  21. current — of water
  22. clip — to cut
  23. ground — a position
  24. chest — of your body

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