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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. He is an ace ________________.
  2. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  3. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  4. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  5. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  6. The tickets are free of ________________.
  7. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  8. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  9. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  10. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  11. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  12. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  13. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  14. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  15. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  16. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  17. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  18. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  19. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  20. David sat on the ________________.
  21. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  22. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  23. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  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. pitcher — in baseball
  2. foot — the bottom
  3. foot — part of the body
  4. root — of a word
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. charge — a price
  7. fan — to cool the air
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. cap — a lid
  10. cap — of ice
  11. bore — gave birth
  12. cap — a hat
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. charge — electricity
  16. root — of a plant
  17. foot — a measure
  18. swing — in golf
  19. swing — music
  20. swing — to play on
  21. charge — in control
  22. bore — to drill
  23. bore — to tire
  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