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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. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  2. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  3. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  4. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  5. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  6. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  7. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  8. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  9. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  10. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  11. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  12. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  13. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  14. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  15. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  16. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  17. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  18. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  19. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  20. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  21. The tickets are free of ________________.
  22. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  23. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  24. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a line of people
  2. capital — money
  3. root — of a word
  4. current — of water
  5. current — electric
  6. object — to protest
  7. charge — electricity
  8. root — the cause
  9. capital — a big letter
  10. capital — a city
  11. present — the time now
  12. object — a thing
  13. fork — a garden tool
  14. fork — to eat with
  15. current — happening now
  16. file — a tool
  17. root — of a plant
  18. present — there
  19. present — a gift
  20. charge — in control
  21. charge — a price
  22. file — a document
  23. fork — in a road
  24. object — an aim

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