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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. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  2. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  3. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  4. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  5. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  6. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  7. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  8. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  9. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  10. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  11. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  12. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  13. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  14. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  15. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  16. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  17. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  18. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  19. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  20. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  21. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  22. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  23. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  24. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.

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

Answer key

  1. current — of water
  2. fine — a penalty
  3. club — for dancing
  4. club — for golf
  5. mouse — for a computer
  6. root — the cause
  7. chip — to eat
  8. chip — in a computer
  9. row — a quarrel
  10. current — electric
  11. mine — an explosive
  12. fine — high quality
  13. row — a line
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. club — a group
  16. row — to paddle
  17. fine — all right
  18. root — of a plant
  19. mine — for digging
  20. current — happening now
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. chip — for betting
  23. mine — belonging to me
  24. root — of a word

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