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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. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  2. Have you met the new head ________________?
  3. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  4. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  5. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  6. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  7. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  8. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  9. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  10. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  11. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  12. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  13. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  14. David sat on the ________________.
  15. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  16. The tickets are free of ________________.
  17. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  18. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  19. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  20. The ________________ took off on time.
  21. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  22. Have you found your soul ________________?
  23. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  24. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a friend
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. root — of a word
  4. charge — in control
  5. charge — electricity
  6. root — of a plant
  7. swing — in golf
  8. swing — music
  9. branch — a division
  10. plane — a tool
  11. cap — of ice
  12. plane — in geometry
  13. mate — to breed
  14. swing — to play on
  15. root — the cause
  16. charge — a price
  17. cap — a hat
  18. branch — of a tree
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. plane — an aircraft
  21. coach — pulled by horses
  22. mate — a partner
  23. cap — a lid
  24. branch — of a bank

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