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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. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  2. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  3. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  4. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  5. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  6. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  7. When are we going to ________________?
  8. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  9. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  10. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  11. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  12. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  13. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  14. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  15. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  16. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  17. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  18. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  19. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  20. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  21. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  22. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  23. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  24. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — music
  2. track — to keep track
  3. staff — employees
  4. current — electric
  5. firm — decided
  6. firm — steady
  7. land — to come down
  8. current — of water
  9. toast — a drink to someone
  10. rock — a stone
  11. root — of a word
  12. toast — the most admired
  13. staff — a stick
  14. toast — bread
  15. land — a country
  16. root — of a plant
  17. land — ground
  18. rock — to move gently
  19. root — the cause
  20. track — a path
  21. staff — employees
  22. current — happening now
  23. track — a song
  24. firm — a company

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