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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. The tickets are free of ________________.
  3. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  4. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  5. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  6. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  7. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  8. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  9. He works in a ________________ mill.
  10. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  11. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  12. David sat on the ________________.
  13. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  14. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  15. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  16. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  17. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  18. She's very handy with a ________________.
  19. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  20. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  21. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  22. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  23. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  24. He is an ace ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a word
  2. charge — a price
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. jam — to spread on bread
  5. wake — before a funeral
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. root — the cause
  8. dip — to sink
  9. saw — the tool
  10. root — of a plant
  11. charge — electricity
  12. swing — to play on
  13. swing — in golf
  14. jam — in traffic
  15. wake — a trail
  16. jam — a tight spot
  17. wake — to stop sleeping
  18. saw — the tool
  19. dip — to dunk
  20. swing — music
  21. saw — past of 'see'
  22. charge — in control
  23. dip — a sauce
  24. pitcher — in baseball

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