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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 need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  2. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  3. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  4. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  5. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  6. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  7. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  8. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  9. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  10. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  11. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  12. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  13. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  14. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  15. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  16. What do you think of the new ________________?
  17. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  18. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  19. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  20. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  21. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  22. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  23. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  24. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. root — the cause
  2. march — the month
  3. cabinet — a cupboard
  4. vault — in gymnastics
  5. current — electric
  6. current — happening now
  7. field — farmland
  8. branch — a division
  9. branch — of a tree
  10. chip — in a computer
  11. chip — for betting
  12. branch — of a bank
  13. root — of a word
  14. vault — a safe
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. vault — an arched ceiling
  18. field — a subject
  19. chip — to eat
  20. march — the month
  21. current — of water
  22. root — of a plant
  23. march — music
  24. field — for sport

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