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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. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  2. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  3. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  4. The ball is in your ________________.
  5. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  6. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  7. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  8. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  9. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  10. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  11. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  12. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  13. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  14. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  15. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  16. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  17. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  18. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  19. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  20. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  21. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  22. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  23. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  24. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.

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

Answer key

  1. root — the cause
  2. row — a quarrel
  3. deal — an agreement
  4. court — for sport
  5. can — a tin
  6. current — of water
  7. court — of law
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. deal — to handle
  10. root — of a plant
  11. file — a tool
  12. racket — a loud noise
  13. root — of a word
  14. deal — a big deal
  15. can — to be able to
  16. court — of a king
  17. current — electric
  18. can — a tin
  19. file — a document
  20. current — happening now
  21. row — to paddle
  22. file — a line of people
  23. row — a line
  24. racket — for tennis

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