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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 girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  2. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  3. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  4. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  5. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  6. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  7. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  8. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  9. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  10. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  11. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  12. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  13. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  14. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  15. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  16. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  17. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  18. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  19. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  20. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  21. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  22. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  23. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  24. Would you like some apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. row — a line
  2. jam — a tight spot
  3. current — happening now
  4. root — of a word
  5. trunk — of an elephant
  6. toast — bread
  7. dip — to dunk
  8. pit — a hole
  9. pit — a fruit stone
  10. toast — the most admired
  11. row — to paddle
  12. toast — a drink to someone
  13. dip — to sink
  14. trunk — of a tree
  15. dip — a sauce
  16. row — a quarrel
  17. current — electric
  18. current — of water
  19. root — the cause
  20. trunk — of a car
  21. jam — in traffic
  22. pit — in a race
  23. root — of a plant
  24. jam — to spread on bread

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