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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. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  2. That was ________________ to happen.
  3. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  4. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  5. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  6. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  7. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  8. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  9. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  10. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  11. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  12. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  13. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  14. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  15. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  16. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  17. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  18. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  19. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  20. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  21. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  22. This piece is in a major ________________.
  23. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  24. He hit the ball with his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. row — to paddle
  2. bound — certain
  3. current — electric
  4. bound — obliged
  5. root — of a word
  6. degree — an amount
  7. row — a line
  8. degree — from a university
  9. bound — tied together
  10. key — the most important part
  11. root — the cause
  12. current — happening now
  13. row — a quarrel
  14. root — of a plant
  15. fall — to drop
  16. key — for a lock
  17. degree — temperature
  18. fall — to drop
  19. fall — the season
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. current — of water
  22. key — in music
  23. racket — a loud noise
  24. racket — for tennis

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