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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. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  2. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  3. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  4. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  5. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  6. That must've been a ________________.
  7. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  8. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  9. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  10. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  11. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  12. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  13. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  14. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  15. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  16. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  17. Have you met the new head ________________?
  18. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  19. That was ________________ to happen.
  20. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  21. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  22. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  23. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  24. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.

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

Answer key

  1. object — a thing
  2. coach — pulled by horses
  3. root — of a word
  4. pit — a hole
  5. bound — tied together
  6. rush — a thrill
  7. current — of water
  8. root — of a plant
  9. object — an aim
  10. pit — in a race
  11. rush — to hurry
  12. pit — a fruit stone
  13. wound — an injury
  14. wound — past of 'wind'
  15. object — to protest
  16. root — the cause
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. bound — obliged
  19. bound — certain
  20. wound — an injury
  21. current — electric
  22. rush — hurry
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. current — happening now

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