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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. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  2. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  3. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  4. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  5. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  6. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  7. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  8. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  9. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  10. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  11. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  12. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  13. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  14. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  15. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  16. I can't ________________ this cold.
  17. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  18. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  19. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  20. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  21. The tickets are free of ________________.
  22. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  23. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  24. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. wind — to turn a key
  3. rest — what's left
  4. root — the cause
  5. root — of a word
  6. racket — a loud noise
  7. charge — electricity
  8. root — of a plant
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. wind — moving air
  11. wind — moving air
  12. charge — in control
  13. mouse — for a computer
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. deal — to handle
  16. stand — to bear
  17. deal — an agreement
  18. rest — a break
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. rest — what's left
  21. charge — a price
  22. deal — a big deal
  23. stand — for spectators
  24. stand — on your feet

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