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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. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  3. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  4. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  5. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  6. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  7. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  8. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  9. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  10. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  11. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  12. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  13. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  14. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  15. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  16. How do you ________________ your surname?
  17. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  18. The ball is in your ________________.
  19. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  20. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  21. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  22. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  23. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  24. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — a price
  2. court — of a king
  3. spell — a short time
  4. staff — employees
  5. rule — to rule out
  6. root — of a plant
  7. rule — government
  8. root — the cause
  9. rest — what's left
  10. staff — a stick
  11. court — of law
  12. root — of a word
  13. rest — what's left
  14. kick — a thrill
  15. staff — employees
  16. spell — letters
  17. kick — in football
  18. court — for sport
  19. rule — a law
  20. rest — a break
  21. charge — electricity
  22. kick — with a leg
  23. charge — in control
  24. spell — magic

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