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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. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  2. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  3. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  4. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  5. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  6. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  7. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  8. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  9. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  10. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  11. The King held a masked ________________.
  12. I can't ________________ this cold.
  13. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  14. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  15. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  16. He was locked up in a ________________.
  17. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  18. Did you ________________ the meat?
  19. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  20. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  21. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  22. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  23. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  24. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a word
  2. ball — a great time
  3. cell — in biology
  4. season — in sport
  5. current — electric
  6. root — the cause
  7. stand — for spectators
  8. cell — a phone
  9. current — of water
  10. fork — a garden tool
  11. ball — a dance
  12. stand — to bear
  13. current — happening now
  14. root — of a plant
  15. season — of the year
  16. cell — in a prison
  17. fork — in a road
  18. season — to add flavour
  19. kick — with a leg
  20. ball — a round shape
  21. fork — to eat with
  22. kick — in football
  23. stand — on your feet
  24. kick — a thrill

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