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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 tickets are free of ________________.
  2. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  3. I'll be taking the ________________.
  4. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  5. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  6. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  7. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  8. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  9. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  10. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  11. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  12. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  13. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  14. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  15. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  16. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  17. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  18. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  19. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  20. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  21. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  22. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  23. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  24. I have a corn on my right ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — a price
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. tube — the underground
  4. root — the cause
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. bass — low music
  7. tube — a container
  8. fall — the season
  9. rule — a law
  10. rule — to rule out
  11. root — of a plant
  12. foot — a measure
  13. fall — to drop
  14. patient — calm and waiting
  15. charge — in control
  16. rule — government
  17. bass — the fish
  18. charge — electricity
  19. fall — to drop
  20. root — of a word
  21. foot — the bottom
  22. tube — in a tire
  23. bass — the instrument
  24. foot — part of the body

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