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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. There's no middle ________________.
  2. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  3. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  4. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  5. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  6. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  7. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  8. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  9. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  10. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  11. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  12. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  13. The ball is in your ________________.
  14. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  15. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  16. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  17. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  18. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  19. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  20. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  21. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  22. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  23. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  24. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — a position
  2. bore — to tire
  3. current — of water
  4. bore — gave birth
  5. content — happy
  6. current — happening now
  7. root — the cause
  8. court — of a king
  9. ground — the earth
  10. root — of a plant
  11. fall — to drop
  12. trunk — of an elephant
  13. court — for sport
  14. fall — to drop
  15. content — videos and posts
  16. trunk — of a tree
  17. root — of a word
  18. fall — the season
  19. court — of law
  20. trunk — of a car
  21. bore — to drill
  22. ground — crushed
  23. content — the amount
  24. current — electric

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