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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. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  2. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  3. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  4. The King held a masked ________________.
  5. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  6. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  7. The ________________ market has crashed.
  8. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  9. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  10. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  11. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  12. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  13. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  14. The tickets are free of ________________.
  15. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  16. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  17. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  18. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  19. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  20. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  21. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  22. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  23. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  24. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — electricity
  2. fan — to cool the air
  3. root — of a word
  4. ball — a dance
  5. stock — goods
  6. charge — in control
  7. stock — shares
  8. root — the cause
  9. lean — thin
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. ball — a round shape
  12. bat — for baseball
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. charge — a price
  15. can — a tin
  16. can — to be able to
  17. stock — a soup base
  18. ball — a great time
  19. lean — to rest against
  20. bat — the animal
  21. bat — in an idiom
  22. can — a tin
  23. lean — to bend
  24. root — of a plant

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