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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. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  2. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  3. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  4. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  5. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  6. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  7. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  8. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  9. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  10. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  11. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  12. The tickets are free of ________________.
  13. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  14. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  15. That must've been a ________________.
  16. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  17. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  18. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  19. It's one o'clock ________________.
  20. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  21. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  22. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  23. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  24. This knife is not ________________ enough.

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

Answer key

  1. object — an aim
  2. rock — to move gently
  3. track — a song
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. rush — hurry
  6. root — of a word
  7. rock — music
  8. charge — in control
  9. sharp — clever
  10. track — a path
  11. root — the cause
  12. charge — a price
  13. rock — a stone
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. rush — a thrill
  16. charge — electricity
  17. object — to protest
  18. track — to keep track
  19. sharp — exactly
  20. rush — to hurry
  21. racket — a loud noise
  22. root — of a plant
  23. object — a thing
  24. sharp — with an edge

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