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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. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  2. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  3. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  4. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  5. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  6. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  7. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  8. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  9. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  10. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  11. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  12. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  13. There's no middle ________________.
  14. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  15. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  16. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  17. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  18. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  19. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  20. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  21. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  22. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  23. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  24. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.

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

Answer key

  1. row — to paddle
  2. prune — the fruit
  3. current — electric
  4. row — a quarrel
  5. root — of a word
  6. current — happening now
  7. wind — to turn a key
  8. cue — a hint
  9. board — a flat piece
  10. root — of a plant
  11. ground — the earth
  12. prune — to trim
  13. ground — a position
  14. root — the cause
  15. cue — for pool
  16. board — a committee
  17. current — of water
  18. board — to get on
  19. row — a line
  20. prune — to trim
  21. wind — moving air
  22. wind — moving air
  23. ground — crushed
  24. cue — a signal

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