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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. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  2. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  3. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  4. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  5. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  6. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  7. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  8. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  9. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  10. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  11. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  12. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  13. That was ________________ to happen.
  14. When are we going to ________________?
  15. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  16. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  17. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  18. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  19. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  20. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  21. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  22. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  23. That must've been a ________________.
  24. We are ________________ to obey laws.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a word
  2. foot — the bottom
  3. land — a country
  4. current — happening now
  5. foot — part of the body
  6. current — of water
  7. rush — hurry
  8. bear — to put up with
  9. march — the month
  10. march — the month
  11. rush — to hurry
  12. current — electric
  13. bound — certain
  14. land — to come down
  15. root — of a plant
  16. march — music
  17. foot — a measure
  18. bear — the animal
  19. bound — tied together
  20. land — ground
  21. root — the cause
  22. bear — the animal
  23. rush — a thrill
  24. bound — obliged

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