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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. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  3. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  4. What do you think of the new ________________?
  5. The water is too ________________.
  6. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  7. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  8. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  9. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  10. The tickets are free of ________________.
  11. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  12. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  13. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  14. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  15. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  16. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  17. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  18. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  19. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  20. That was a fun ________________.
  21. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  22. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  23. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  24. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — in control
  2. pound — for dogs
  3. cold — the Cold War
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. cold — not warm
  6. game — wild animals
  7. wind — moving air
  8. wind — moving air
  9. game — a kind of play
  10. charge — a price
  11. pound — to hit hard
  12. cabinet — a cupboard
  13. leaves — of a tree
  14. leaves — to go away
  15. pound — a weight
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. root — of a plant
  18. charge — electricity
  19. wind — to turn a key
  20. game — a match
  21. leaves — lets stay
  22. cold — an illness
  23. root — the cause
  24. root — of a word

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