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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 ball hit the back of the ________________.
  2. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  3. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  4. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  5. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  6. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  7. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  8. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  9. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  10. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  11. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  12. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  13. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  14. The tickets are free of ________________.
  15. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  16. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  17. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  18. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  19. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  20. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  21. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  22. Have you settled on a ________________?
  23. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  24. What do you think of the new ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. net — in sport
  2. root — the cause
  3. chair — a leader
  4. chair — a professorship
  5. net — for catching
  6. net — after costs
  7. root — of a plant
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. charge — in control
  10. spring — a coil
  11. lie — to recline
  12. spring — the season
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. charge — a price
  15. chair — to sit on
  16. date — the fruit
  17. spring — of water
  18. date — on the calendar
  19. charge — electricity
  20. cabinet — a cupboard
  21. root — of a word
  22. date — on the calendar
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. cabinet — ministers

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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