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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 coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  2. When are we going to ________________?
  3. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  4. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  5. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  6. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  7. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  8. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  9. There's no middle ________________.
  10. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  11. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  12. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  13. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  14. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  15. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  16. David sat on the ________________.
  17. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  18. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  19. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  20. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  21. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  22. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  23. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  24. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — in golf
  2. land — to come down
  3. ground — crushed
  4. root — the cause
  5. rest — what's left
  6. mark — to pay attention
  7. mouse — for a computer
  8. root — of a word
  9. ground — a position
  10. current — of water
  11. land — ground
  12. swing — music
  13. land — a country
  14. rest — what's left
  15. rest — a break
  16. swing — to play on
  17. mark — a grade
  18. mark — a trace
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. ground — the earth
  21. current — happening now
  22. root — of a plant
  23. current — electric
  24. mouse — the animal

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