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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. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  2. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  3. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  4. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  5. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  6. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  7. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  8. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  9. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  10. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  11. Don't do anything ________________.
  12. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  13. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  14. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  15. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  16. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  17. When are we going to ________________?
  18. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  19. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  20. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  21. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  22. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  23. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  24. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a hint
  2. current — of water
  3. can — a tin
  4. rash — a series
  5. club — for golf
  6. rash — on the skin
  7. object — to protest
  8. object — an aim
  9. can — to be able to
  10. land — ground
  11. rash — hasty
  12. root — of a plant
  13. object — a thing
  14. current — electric
  15. cue — a signal
  16. root — of a word
  17. land — to come down
  18. club — for dancing
  19. cue — for pool
  20. land — a country
  21. root — the cause
  22. current — happening now
  23. can — a tin
  24. club — a group

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