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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. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  2. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  3. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  4. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  5. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  6. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  7. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  8. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  9. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  10. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  11. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  12. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  13. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  14. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  15. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  16. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  17. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  18. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  19. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  20. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  21. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  22. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  23. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  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. current — electric
  2. fork — to eat with
  3. root — the cause
  4. fine — all right
  5. current — of water
  6. content — videos and posts
  7. fine — high quality
  8. fine — a penalty
  9. pass — to spend time
  10. root — of a plant
  11. net — in sport
  12. content — happy
  13. fork — in a road
  14. content — the amount
  15. pitch — a sales talk
  16. pitch — a sports field
  17. pass — to succeed
  18. net — for catching
  19. pitch — completely
  20. pass — a permit
  21. root — of a word
  22. fork — a garden tool
  23. net — after costs
  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