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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. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  2. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  3. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  4. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  5. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  6. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  7. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  8. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  9. He was locked up in a ________________.
  10. Did you ________________ the meat?
  11. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  12. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  13. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  14. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  15. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  16. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  17. The ________________ market has crashed.
  18. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  19. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  20. The tickets are free of ________________.
  21. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  22. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  23. The ball is in your ________________.
  24. Where can I ________________ my mobile?

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

Answer key

  1. root — the cause
  2. season — in sport
  3. season — of the year
  4. court — of law
  5. charge — in control
  6. root — of a word
  7. cell — a phone
  8. stock — a soup base
  9. cell — in a prison
  10. season — to add flavour
  11. root — of a plant
  12. court — of a king
  13. craft — a skill
  14. stock — goods
  15. fork — to eat with
  16. craft — a handicraft
  17. stock — shares
  18. cell — in biology
  19. craft — boats
  20. charge — a price
  21. fork — a garden tool
  22. fork — in a road
  23. court — for sport
  24. charge — electricity

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