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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. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  2. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  3. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  4. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  5. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  6. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  7. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  8. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  9. Did you ________________ the meat?
  10. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  11. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  12. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  13. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  14. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  15. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  16. The tickets are free of ________________.
  17. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  18. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  19. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  20. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  21. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  22. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  23. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  24. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.

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

Answer key

  1. season — in sport
  2. charge — in control
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. pound — a weight
  5. root — the cause
  6. pound — for dogs
  7. bat — in an idiom
  8. kid — child
  9. season — to add flavour
  10. chair — a leader
  11. ruler — a monarch
  12. root — of a word
  13. pound — to hit hard
  14. season — of the year
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. charge — a price
  17. chair — a professorship
  18. kid — to tease
  19. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  20. charge — electricity
  21. bat — the animal
  22. root — of a plant
  23. chair — to sit on
  24. bat — for baseball

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