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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 farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  2. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  3. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  4. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  5. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  6. The tickets are free of ________________.
  7. We're on a ________________ here.
  8. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  9. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  10. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  11. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  12. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  13. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  14. David sat on the ________________.
  15. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  16. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  17. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  18. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  19. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  20. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  21. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  22. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  23. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  24. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — calm and waiting
  2. deal — a big deal
  3. swing — in golf
  4. deal — an agreement
  5. rest — what's left
  6. charge — a price
  7. roll — on a roll
  8. root — of a plant
  9. swing — music
  10. chair — to sit on
  11. root — the cause
  12. chair — a professorship
  13. deal — to handle
  14. swing — to play on
  15. charge — electricity
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. roll — a cake
  18. roll — a list
  19. rest — a break
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. charge — in control
  22. root — of a word
  23. chair — a leader
  24. rest — what's left

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