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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. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  2. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  3. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  4. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  5. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  6. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  7. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  8. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  9. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  10. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  11. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  12. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  13. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  14. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  15. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  16. Have you met the new head ________________?
  17. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  18. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  19. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  20. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  21. The ________________ market has crashed.
  22. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  23. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  24. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. current — electric
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. rule — a law
  4. firm — decided
  5. firm — a company
  6. trunk — of a car
  7. root — of a plant
  8. rule — to rule out
  9. trunk — of a tree
  10. root — of a word
  11. stock — a soup base
  12. race — humankind
  13. rule — government
  14. current — of water
  15. race — the arms race
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. trunk — of an elephant
  18. stock — goods
  19. race — a contest
  20. coach — pulled by horses
  21. stock — shares
  22. current — happening now
  23. firm — steady
  24. root — the cause

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