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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. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  2. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  3. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  4. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  5. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  6. The tickets are free of ________________.
  7. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  8. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  9. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  10. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  11. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  12. I can't ________________ this cold.
  13. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  14. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  15. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  16. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  17. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  18. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  19. It's one o'clock ________________.
  20. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  21. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  22. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  23. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  24. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?

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

Answer key

  1. root — the cause
  2. stand — on your feet
  3. net — after costs
  4. charge — electricity
  5. root — of a word
  6. charge — a price
  7. squash — to crush
  8. cap — of ice
  9. net — in sport
  10. net — for catching
  11. squash — the sport
  12. stand — to bear
  13. prune — to trim
  14. stand — for spectators
  15. squash — the vegetable
  16. prune — to trim
  17. sharp — with an edge
  18. cap — a hat
  19. sharp — exactly
  20. prune — the fruit
  21. sharp — clever
  22. charge — in control
  23. root — of a plant
  24. cap — a lid

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