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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. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  2. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  3. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  4. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  5. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  6. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  7. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  8. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  9. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  10. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  11. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  12. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  13. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  14. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  15. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  16. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  17. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  18. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  19. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  20. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  21. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  22. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  23. Did you ________________ the button?
  24. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.

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

Answer key

  1. current — of water
  2. cue — for pool
  3. root — of a word
  4. root — of a plant
  5. net — in sport
  6. pound — a weight
  7. press — a publisher
  8. net — for catching
  9. branch — of a tree
  10. cue — a signal
  11. race — a contest
  12. race — the arms race
  13. race — humankind
  14. branch — a division
  15. pound — to hit hard
  16. cue — a hint
  17. current — happening now
  18. net — after costs
  19. pound — for dogs
  20. root — the cause
  21. press — newspapers
  22. current — electric
  23. press — to push
  24. branch — of a bank

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