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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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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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. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  2. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  3. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  4. That was a fun ________________.
  5. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  6. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  7. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  8. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  9. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  10. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  11. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  12. Have you found your soul ________________?
  13. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  14. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  15. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  16. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  17. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  18. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  19. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  20. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  21. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  22. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  23. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  24. The tickets are free of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — electricity
  2. foot — the bottom
  3. root — of a plant
  4. game — a match
  5. root — of a word
  6. kid — to tease
  7. squash — the sport
  8. foot — part of the body
  9. game — wild animals
  10. squash — the vegetable
  11. stick — to attach or keep to
  12. mate — a partner
  13. charge — in control
  14. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  15. root — the cause
  16. mate — a friend
  17. foot — a measure
  18. game — a kind of play
  19. mate — to breed
  20. squash — to crush
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. kid — child
  24. charge — a price

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