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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 120 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. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  2. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  3. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  4. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  5. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  6. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  7. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  8. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  9. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  10. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  11. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  12. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  13. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  14. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  15. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  16. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  17. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  18. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  19. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  20. That was ________________ to happen.
  21. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  22. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  23. What do you think of the new ________________?
  24. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.

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

Answer key

  1. current — of water
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. root — the cause
  4. degree — from a university
  5. ruler — a monarch
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. spring — a coil
  8. bound — obliged
  9. bound — tied together
  10. perch — the fish
  11. spring — the season
  12. root — of a plant
  13. cabinet — a cupboard
  14. current — electric
  15. degree — temperature
  16. current — happening now
  17. degree — an amount
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. spring — of water
  20. bound — certain
  21. root — of a word
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. cabinet — ministers

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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