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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. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  2. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  3. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  4. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  5. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  6. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  7. You don't need to ________________ round.
  8. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  9. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  10. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  11. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  12. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  13. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  14. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  15. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  16. We're almost out of ________________.
  17. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  18. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  19. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  20. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  21. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  22. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  23. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  24. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. current — happening now
  2. root — of a word
  3. current — of water
  4. net — for catching
  5. net — in sport
  6. bore — to tire
  7. pop — to visit
  8. object — an aim
  9. root — the cause
  10. rule — a law
  11. rule — to rule out
  12. pop — music
  13. chest — of your body
  14. rule — government
  15. bore — gave birth
  16. pop — soda
  17. chest — of your body
  18. root — of a plant
  19. chest — a box
  20. object — to protest
  21. net — after costs
  22. object — a thing
  23. bore — to drill
  24. current — electric

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