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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. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  2. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  3. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  4. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  5. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  6. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  7. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  8. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  9. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  10. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  11. The ball is in your ________________.
  12. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  13. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  14. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  15. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  16. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  17. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  18. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  19. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  20. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  21. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  22. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  23. When are we going to ________________?
  24. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a plant
  2. pit — a fruit stone
  3. bass — the instrument
  4. root — of a word
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. land — ground
  7. cap — of ice
  8. root — the cause
  9. court — of law
  10. current — of water
  11. court — for sport
  12. bass — low music
  13. calf — of the leg
  14. pit — in a race
  15. current — electric
  16. land — a country
  17. court — of a king
  18. pit — a hole
  19. bass — the fish
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. cap — a hat
  22. current — happening now
  23. land — to come down
  24. cap — a lid

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