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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. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  2. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  3. The tickets are free of ________________.
  4. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  5. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  6. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  7. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  8. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  9. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  10. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  11. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  12. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  13. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  14. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  15. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  16. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  17. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  18. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  19. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  20. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  21. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  22. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  23. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  24. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.

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

Answer key

  1. net — in sport
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. charge — a price
  4. mark — a grade
  5. net — after costs
  6. charge — in control
  7. mark — to pay attention
  8. root — of a word
  9. bear — the animal
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. root — the cause
  12. fan — to cool the air
  13. racket — a loud noise
  14. root — of a plant
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. bear — to put up with
  17. present — the time now
  18. bear — the animal
  19. present — a gift
  20. net — for catching
  21. charge — electricity
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. mark — a trace
  24. present — there

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