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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. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  2. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  3. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  4. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  5. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  6. The ball is in your ________________.
  7. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  8. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  9. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  10. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  11. The tickets are free of ________________.
  12. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  13. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  14. We're on a ________________ here.
  15. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  16. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  17. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  18. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  19. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  20. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  21. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  22. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  23. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  24. The train ________________ at six o'clock.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — in control
  2. roll — a list
  3. court — of a king
  4. root — of a plant
  5. leaves — lets stay
  6. court — for sport
  7. race — humankind
  8. content — the amount
  9. race — the arms race
  10. leaves — of a tree
  11. charge — a price
  12. root — the cause
  13. content — happy
  14. roll — on a roll
  15. bat — the animal
  16. bat — for baseball
  17. race — a contest
  18. court — of law
  19. charge — electricity
  20. roll — a cake
  21. root — of a word
  22. bat — in an idiom
  23. content — videos and posts
  24. leaves — to go away

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