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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. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  2. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  3. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  4. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  5. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  6. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  7. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  8. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  9. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  10. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  11. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  12. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  13. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  14. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  15. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  16. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  17. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  18. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  19. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  20. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  21. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  22. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  23. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  24. We had a fire ________________ at school today.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — of ice
  2. bowl — a dish
  3. cap — a hat
  4. drill — army training
  5. root — of a plant
  6. club — for dancing
  7. drill — the tool
  8. current — electric
  9. root — of a word
  10. shower — to wash
  11. club — a group
  12. root — the cause
  13. shower — a meteor shower
  14. club — for golf
  15. rule — a law
  16. bowl — to roll
  17. bowl — a football final
  18. rule — to rule out
  19. shower — rain
  20. current — happening now
  21. rule — government
  22. current — of water
  23. cap — a lid
  24. drill — a practice

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