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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. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  3. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  4. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  5. The ball is in your ________________.
  6. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  7. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  8. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  9. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  10. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  11. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  12. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  13. The King held a masked ________________.
  14. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  15. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  16. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  17. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  18. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  19. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  20. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  21. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  22. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  23. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  24. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.

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

Answer key

  1. current — of water
  2. craft — boats
  3. prune — to trim
  4. craft — a skill
  5. court — for sport
  6. track — a song
  7. root — the cause
  8. court — of a king
  9. current — electric
  10. current — happening now
  11. track — to keep track
  12. root — of a plant
  13. ball — a dance
  14. deal — an agreement
  15. ball — a round shape
  16. prune — to trim
  17. root — of a word
  18. track — a path
  19. craft — a handicraft
  20. prune — the fruit
  21. deal — a big deal
  22. ball — a great time
  23. deal — to handle
  24. court — of law

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