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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. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  2. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  3. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  4. The tickets are free of ________________.
  5. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  6. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  7. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  8. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  9. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  10. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  11. Have you found your soul ________________?
  12. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  13. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  14. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  15. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  16. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  17. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  18. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  19. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  20. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  21. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  22. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  23. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  24. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — to breed
  2. root — the cause
  3. pitch — completely
  4. charge — a price
  5. trunk — of a car
  6. lean — thin
  7. bear — the animal
  8. mate — a friend
  9. pitch — a sports field
  10. chair — a professorship
  11. mate — a partner
  12. pitch — a sales talk
  13. charge — electricity
  14. lean — to bend
  15. chair — a leader
  16. root — of a word
  17. bear — the animal
  18. trunk — of a tree
  19. trunk — of an elephant
  20. charge — in control
  21. root — of a plant
  22. bear — to put up with
  23. lean — to rest against
  24. chair — to sit on

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