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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 116 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. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  3. The tickets are free of ________________.
  4. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  5. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  6. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  7. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  8. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  9. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  10. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  11. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  12. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  13. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  14. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  15. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  16. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  17. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  18. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  19. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  20. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  21. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  22. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  23. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  24. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — in control
  2. capital — money
  3. charge — a price
  4. stem — of a plant
  5. root — the cause
  6. charge — electricity
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. root — of a plant
  9. root — of a word
  10. bowl — a football final
  11. track — a path
  12. track — a song
  13. stem — to come from
  14. stem — a stem cell
  15. dip — a sauce
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. dip — to sink
  18. capital — a big letter
  19. fan — to cool the air
  20. track — to keep track
  21. capital — a city
  22. bowl — to roll
  23. dip — to dunk
  24. bowl — a dish

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