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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. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  2. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  3. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  4. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  5. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  6. The tickets are free of ________________.
  7. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  8. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  9. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  10. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  11. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  12. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  13. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  14. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  15. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  16. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  17. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  18. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  19. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  20. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  21. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  22. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  23. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  24. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — in control
  2. mark — a grade
  3. root — of a plant
  4. leaves — lets stay
  5. chip — for betting
  6. charge — a price
  7. mine — an explosive
  8. vault — in gymnastics
  9. mark — a trace
  10. field — for sport
  11. chip — to eat
  12. vault — an arched ceiling
  13. leaves — to go away
  14. field — a subject
  15. mark — to pay attention
  16. field — farmland
  17. chip — in a computer
  18. mine — for digging
  19. charge — electricity
  20. leaves — of a tree
  21. vault — a safe
  22. root — of a word
  23. mine — belonging to me
  24. root — the cause

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