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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. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  2. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  3. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  4. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  5. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  6. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  7. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  8. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  9. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  10. I'll be taking the ________________.
  11. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  12. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  13. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  14. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  15. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  16. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  17. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  18. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  19. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  20. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  21. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  22. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  23. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  24. I assure you, everything's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. current — electric
  2. fine — a penalty
  3. chip — in a computer
  4. stem — of a plant
  5. stem — to come from
  6. fine — high quality
  7. root — the cause
  8. stem — a stem cell
  9. current — happening now
  10. tube — the underground
  11. current — of water
  12. root — of a plant
  13. track — a path
  14. tube — in a tire
  15. track — to keep track
  16. root — of a word
  17. chip — to eat
  18. chip — for betting
  19. foot — a measure
  20. foot — part of the body
  21. track — a song
  22. foot — the bottom
  23. tube — a container
  24. fine — all right

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