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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. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  2. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  3. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  4. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  5. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  6. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  7. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  8. The tickets are free of ________________.
  9. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  10. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  11. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  12. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  13. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  14. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  15. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  16. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  17. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  18. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  19. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  20. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  21. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  22. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  23. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  24. The ball is in your ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a word
  2. charge — electricity
  3. dip — a sauce
  4. charge — in control
  5. chair — a professorship
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. dip — to sink
  8. charge — a price
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. patient — calm and waiting
  12. root — of a plant
  13. court — of a king
  14. chair — a leader
  15. root — the cause
  16. hide — animal skin
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. chair — to sit on
  19. dip — to dunk
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. stick — to attach or keep to
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. court — of law
  24. court — for sport

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