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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. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  2. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  3. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  4. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  5. The tickets are free of ________________.
  6. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  7. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  8. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  9. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  10. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  11. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  12. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  13. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  14. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  15. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  16. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  17. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  18. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  19. There's no middle ________________.
  20. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  21. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  22. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  23. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  24. I play ________________ in a jazz band.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a word
  2. fine — all right
  3. fine — high quality
  4. root — the cause
  5. charge — a price
  6. charge — electricity
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. bass — low music
  9. fine — a penalty
  10. bark — of a tree
  11. bark — a dog's sound
  12. ground — crushed
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. charge — in control
  15. fan — to cool the air
  16. ground — the earth
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. hide — animal skin
  19. ground — a position
  20. root — of a plant
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. bass — the fish
  23. bark — to shout
  24. bass — the instrument

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