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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 116 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 kitten curled into a ________________.
  2. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  3. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  4. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  5. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  6. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  7. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  8. The King held a masked ________________.
  9. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  10. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  11. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  12. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  13. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  14. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  15. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  16. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  17. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  18. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  19. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  20. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  21. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  22. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  23. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  24. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a round shape
  2. shower — to wash
  3. cap — of ice
  4. root — the cause
  5. pit — in a race
  6. hand — in cards
  7. current — of water
  8. ball — a dance
  9. cap — a lid
  10. root — of a word
  11. current — happening now
  12. hand — help
  13. pit — a fruit stone
  14. pit — a hole
  15. current — electric
  16. ball — a great time
  17. root — of a plant
  18. cap — a hat
  19. shower — a meteor shower
  20. rock — a stone
  21. rock — to move gently
  22. rock — music
  23. shower — rain
  24. hand — part of the body

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