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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. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  2. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  3. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  4. David sat on the ________________.
  5. Have you found your soul ________________?
  6. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  7. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  8. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  9. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  10. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  11. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  12. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  13. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  14. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  15. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  16. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  17. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  18. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  19. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  20. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  21. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  22. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  23. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  24. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?

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

Answer key

  1. fine — high quality
  2. swing — in golf
  3. fine — all right
  4. swing — to play on
  5. mate — a partner
  6. mate — to breed
  7. root — the cause
  8. current — electric
  9. cap — of ice
  10. object — an aim
  11. object — to protest
  12. track — a song
  13. current — of water
  14. cap — a hat
  15. root — of a word
  16. object — a thing
  17. fine — a penalty
  18. cap — a lid
  19. current — happening now
  20. track — to keep track
  21. root — of a plant
  22. swing — music
  23. track — a path
  24. mate — a friend

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