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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: bear · current · straw · object · row · root · pit · pop

  1. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  2. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  3. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  4. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  5. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  6. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  7. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  8. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  9. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  10. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  11. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  12. You don't need to ________________ round.
  13. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  14. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  15. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  16. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  17. We're almost out of ________________.
  18. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  19. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  20. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  21. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  22. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  23. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  24. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!

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

Answer key

  1. row — a line
  2. object — an aim
  3. pop — music
  4. current — electric
  5. current — happening now
  6. pit — a hole
  7. bear — the animal
  8. pit — a fruit stone
  9. row — a quarrel
  10. row — to paddle
  11. bear — the animal
  12. pop — to visit
  13. current — of water
  14. pit — in a race
  15. root — of a plant
  16. straw — dry grass
  17. pop — soda
  18. root — of a word
  19. root — the cause
  20. object — to protest
  21. object — a thing
  22. straw — to clutch at straws
  23. straw — a straw man
  24. bear — to put up with

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