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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. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  2. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  3. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  4. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  5. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  6. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  7. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  8. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  9. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  10. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  11. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  12. The tickets are free of ________________.
  13. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  14. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  15. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  16. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  17. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  18. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  19. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  20. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  21. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  22. The ________________ market has crashed.
  23. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  24. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.

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

Answer key

  1. can — to be able to
  2. track — to keep track
  3. track — a path
  4. charge — electricity
  5. trunk — of an elephant
  6. charge — in control
  7. root — of a word
  8. stock — goods
  9. rule — to rule out
  10. stock — a soup base
  11. root — of a plant
  12. charge — a price
  13. can — a tin
  14. trunk — of a tree
  15. object — an aim
  16. trunk — of a car
  17. can — a tin
  18. rule — a law
  19. root — the cause
  20. rule — government
  21. object — to protest
  22. stock — shares
  23. track — a song
  24. object — a thing

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