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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 116 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. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  2. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  3. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  4. That must've been a ________________.
  5. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  6. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  7. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  8. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  9. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  10. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  11. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  12. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  13. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  14. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  15. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  16. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  17. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  18. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  19. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  20. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  21. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  22. Have you found your soul ________________?
  23. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  24. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. current — of water
  2. prune — to trim
  3. club — for dancing
  4. rush — a thrill
  5. dip — to sink
  6. current — electric
  7. root — of a plant
  8. prune — the fruit
  9. race — a contest
  10. club — a group
  11. mate — to breed
  12. root — of a word
  13. mate — a friend
  14. dip — to dunk
  15. race — the arms race
  16. prune — to trim
  17. current — happening now
  18. root — the cause
  19. dip — a sauce
  20. rush — hurry
  21. race — humankind
  22. mate — a partner
  23. rush — to hurry
  24. club — for golf

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