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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. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  2. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  3. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  4. The tickets are free of ________________.
  5. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  6. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  7. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  8. Have you settled on a ________________?
  9. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  10. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  11. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  12. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  13. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  14. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  15. I'll be taking the ________________.
  16. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  17. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  18. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  19. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  20. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  21. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  22. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  23. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  24. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — electricity
  2. bear — the animal
  3. rock — to move gently
  4. charge — a price
  5. date — on the calendar
  6. tube — a container
  7. bear — to put up with
  8. date — on the calendar
  9. tube — in a tire
  10. bear — the animal
  11. root — the cause
  12. rest — a break
  13. root — of a plant
  14. date — the fruit
  15. tube — the underground
  16. club — for dancing
  17. charge — in control
  18. rest — what's left
  19. rest — what's left
  20. rock — a stone
  21. club — a group
  22. root — of a word
  23. rock — music
  24. club — for golf

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