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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. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  2. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  3. False peace will not ________________.
  4. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  5. The tickets are free of ________________.
  6. I can't ________________ this cold.
  7. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  8. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  9. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  10. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  11. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  12. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  13. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  14. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  15. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  16. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  17. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  18. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  19. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  20. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  21. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  22. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  23. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  24. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — high quality
  2. safe — a strongbox
  3. last — to go on
  4. fine — a penalty
  5. charge — a price
  6. stand — to bear
  7. file — a tool
  8. file — a line of people
  9. stand — for spectators
  10. charge — in control
  11. charge — electricity
  12. last — finally
  13. root — of a plant
  14. root — of a word
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. root — the cause
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. fine — all right
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. racket — a loud noise
  21. stand — on your feet
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. last — final
  24. file — a document

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