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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. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  3. David sat on the ________________.
  4. What do you think of the new ________________?
  5. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  6. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  7. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  8. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  9. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  10. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  11. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  12. He is an ace ________________.
  13. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  14. The ball is in your ________________.
  15. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  16. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  17. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  18. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  19. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  20. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  21. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  22. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  23. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  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. root — of a plant
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. swing — to play on
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. current — electric
  6. jam — in traffic
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. root — the cause
  9. swing — music
  10. swing — in golf
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. pitcher — in baseball
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. court — for sport
  15. current — of water
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. court — of a king
  18. jam — to spread on bread
  19. racket — a loud noise
  20. cabinet — a cupboard
  21. court — of law
  22. root — of a word
  23. jam — a tight spot
  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