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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. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  2. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  3. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  4. It's one o'clock ________________.
  5. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  6. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  7. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  8. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  9. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  10. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  11. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  12. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  13. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  14. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  15. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  16. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  17. The ________________ market has crashed.
  18. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  19. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  20. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  21. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  22. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  23. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  24. That was ________________ to happen.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a plant
  2. current — happening now
  3. sharp — with an edge
  4. sharp — exactly
  5. stock — goods
  6. rest — a break
  7. stock — a soup base
  8. board — a committee
  9. board — a flat piece
  10. bound — obliged
  11. board — to get on
  12. bound — tied together
  13. content — the amount
  14. root — the cause
  15. current — of water
  16. root — of a word
  17. stock — shares
  18. content — videos and posts
  19. rest — what's left
  20. rest — what's left
  21. content — happy
  22. current — electric
  23. sharp — clever
  24. bound — certain

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