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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. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  2. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  3. That was a fun ________________.
  4. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  5. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  6. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  7. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  8. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  9. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  10. When are we going to ________________?
  11. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  12. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  13. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  14. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  15. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  16. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  17. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  18. False peace will not ________________.
  19. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  20. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  21. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  22. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  23. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  24. Let us try to swim against the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. game — a kind of play
  3. game — a match
  4. pit — in a race
  5. lash — a whip stroke
  6. bear — to put up with
  7. root — the cause
  8. bear — the animal
  9. root — of a plant
  10. land — to come down
  11. lash — an eyelash
  12. current — electric
  13. pit — a hole
  14. root — of a word
  15. last — finally
  16. pit — a fruit stone
  17. last — final
  18. last — to go on
  19. current — happening now
  20. land — a country
  21. game — wild animals
  22. lash — to lash out
  23. land — ground
  24. current — of water

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