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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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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. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  3. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  4. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  5. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  6. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  7. The tickets are free of ________________.
  8. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  9. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  10. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  11. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  12. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  13. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  14. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  15. I'll be taking the ________________.
  16. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  17. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  18. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a plant
  2. tube — in a tire
  3. club — for golf
  4. wound — an injury
  5. deal — an agreement
  6. charge — electricity
  7. charge — a price
  8. club — for dancing
  9. root — the cause
  10. tube — a container
  11. deal — a big deal
  12. club — a group
  13. wound — an injury
  14. charge — in control
  15. tube — the underground
  16. wound — past of 'wind'
  17. root — of a word
  18. deal — to handle

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