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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. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  2. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  3. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  4. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  5. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  6. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  7. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  8. When are we going to ________________?
  9. We're almost out of ________________.
  10. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  11. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  12. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  13. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  14. The tickets are free of ________________.
  15. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  16. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  17. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  18. You don't need to ________________ round.
  19. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  20. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  21. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  22. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  23. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  24. The ball is in your ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  2. lean — to rest against
  3. lean — thin
  4. root — of a word
  5. charge — in control
  6. root — the cause
  7. rest — what's left
  8. land — to come down
  9. pop — soda
  10. court — of law
  11. lean — to bend
  12. court — of a king
  13. charge — electricity
  14. charge — a price
  15. rest — what's left
  16. kid — to tease
  17. rest — a break
  18. pop — to visit
  19. land — a country
  20. root — of a plant
  21. land — ground
  22. kid — child
  23. pop — music
  24. court — for sport

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