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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 tickets are free of ________________.
  2. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  3. We're on a ________________ here.
  4. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  5. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  6. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  7. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  8. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  9. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  10. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  11. I'll be taking the ________________.
  12. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  13. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  14. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  15. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  16. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  17. When was this ________________ built?
  18. Did you ________________ the meat?
  19. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  20. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  21. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  22. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  23. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  24. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — a price
  2. tube — in a tire
  3. roll — on a roll
  4. root — of a plant
  5. root — the cause
  6. season — in sport
  7. rest — what's left
  8. charge — in control
  9. capital — a city
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. tube — the underground
  12. temple — side of the head
  13. tube — a container
  14. capital — money
  15. capital — a big letter
  16. charge — electricity
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. season — to add flavour
  19. season — of the year
  20. roll — a list
  21. rest — a break
  22. root — of a word
  23. roll — a cake
  24. rest — what's left

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