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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. That was ________________ to happen.
  2. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  3. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  4. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  5. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  6. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  7. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  8. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  9. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  10. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  11. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  12. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  13. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  14. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  15. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  16. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  17. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  18. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  19. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  20. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  21. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  22. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  23. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  24. We are ________________ to obey laws.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — certain
  2. face — part of the head
  3. current — of water
  4. face — to point toward
  5. bass — the instrument
  6. bound — tied together
  7. pitch — completely
  8. root — of a plant
  9. bass — low music
  10. racket — a loud noise
  11. current — happening now
  12. root — the cause
  13. stem — a stem cell
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. bass — the fish
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. pitch — a sales talk
  18. face — to confront
  19. current — electric
  20. stem — of a plant
  21. root — of a word
  22. pitch — a sports field
  23. stem — to come from
  24. bound — obliged

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