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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. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  2. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  3. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  4. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  5. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  6. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  7. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  8. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  9. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  10. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  11. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  12. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  13. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  14. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  15. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  16. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  17. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  18. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  19. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  20. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  21. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  22. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  23. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  24. We're on a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. net — for catching
  2. row — to paddle
  3. root — of a plant
  4. current — happening now
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. scale — in music
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. root — the cause
  9. net — in sport
  10. row — a line
  11. bass — the fish
  12. roll — a cake
  13. scale — for weighing
  14. root — of a word
  15. row — a quarrel
  16. current — electric
  17. bass — low music
  18. bass — the instrument
  19. net — after costs
  20. roll — a list
  21. current — of water
  22. hide — animal skin
  23. scale — size or range
  24. roll — on a roll

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