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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 120 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're almost out of ________________.
  2. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  3. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  4. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  5. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  6. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  7. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  8. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  9. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  10. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  11. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  12. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  13. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  14. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  15. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  16. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  17. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  18. You don't need to ________________ round.
  19. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  20. The tickets are free of ________________.
  21. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  22. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  23. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  24. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — soda
  2. bat — in an idiom
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. bat — the animal
  6. rock — to move gently
  7. staff — employees
  8. charge — electricity
  9. root — of a plant
  10. calf — of the leg
  11. staff — employees
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. pop — music
  14. root — of a word
  15. rock — music
  16. charge — in control
  17. rock — a stone
  18. pop — to visit
  19. racket — a loud noise
  20. charge — a price
  21. bat — for baseball
  22. staff — a stick
  23. root — the cause
  24. calf — a young animal

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