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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 ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  2. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  3. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  4. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  5. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  6. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  7. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  8. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  9. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  10. The ball is in your ________________.
  11. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  12. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  13. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  14. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  15. When was this ________________ built?
  16. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  17. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  18. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  19. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  20. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  21. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  22. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  23. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  24. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a plant
  2. court — of law
  3. object — an aim
  4. wave — of the sea
  5. current — of water
  6. pitch — a sports field
  7. root — the cause
  8. object — to protest
  9. root — of a word
  10. court — for sport
  11. pitch — completely
  12. current — electric
  13. court — of a king
  14. chip — for betting
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. chip — to eat
  17. object — a thing
  18. temple — side of the head
  19. wave — a sudden rise
  20. pitch — a sales talk
  21. wave — with your hand
  22. chip — in a computer
  23. current — happening now
  24. temple — a place of worship

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