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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. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  2. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  3. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  4. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  5. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  6. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  7. That must've been a ________________.
  8. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  9. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  10. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  11. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  12. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  13. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  14. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  15. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  16. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  17. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  18. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  19. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  20. She's very handy with a ________________.
  21. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  22. He works in a ________________ mill.
  23. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  24. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — past of 'see'
  2. cap — a lid
  3. fall — the season
  4. fall — to drop
  5. rush — to hurry
  6. fall — to drop
  7. rush — a thrill
  8. rush — hurry
  9. current — electric
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. root — the cause
  12. racket — a loud noise
  13. content — the amount
  14. root — of a plant
  15. cap — a hat
  16. current — happening now
  17. content — videos and posts
  18. root — of a word
  19. current — of water
  20. saw — the tool
  21. content — happy
  22. saw — the tool
  23. cap — of ice
  24. racket — for tennis

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