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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 116 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. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  2. I'll be taking the ________________.
  3. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  4. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  5. Have you met the new head ________________?
  6. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  7. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  8. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  9. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  10. The tickets are free of ________________.
  11. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  12. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  13. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  14. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  15. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  16. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  17. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  18. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  19. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  20. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  21. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  22. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  23. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  24. Many English words ________________ from Latin.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — in control
  2. tube — the underground
  3. coach — pulled by horses
  4. pound — a weight
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. stem — a stem cell
  7. stem — of a plant
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. bat — the animal
  10. charge — a price
  11. safe — a strongbox
  12. tube — in a tire
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. bat — in an idiom
  15. tube — a container
  16. charge — electricity
  17. pound — to hit hard
  18. bat — for baseball
  19. spring — a coil
  20. pound — for dogs
  21. spring — the season
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. spring — of water
  24. stem — to come from

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