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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. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  2. The tickets are free of ________________.
  3. She's very handy with a ________________.
  4. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  5. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  6. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  7. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  8. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  9. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  10. He works in a ________________ mill.
  11. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  12. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  13. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  14. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  15. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  16. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  17. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  18. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  19. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  20. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  21. The ball is in your ________________.
  22. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  23. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  24. Where can I ________________ my mobile?

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

Answer key

  1. object — to protest
  2. charge — a price
  3. saw — the tool
  4. staff — a stick
  5. root — of a plant
  6. object — a thing
  7. drill — army training
  8. charge — in control
  9. drill — the tool
  10. saw — the tool
  11. saw — past of 'see'
  12. object — an aim
  13. drill — a practice
  14. court — of law
  15. cap — of ice
  16. staff — employees
  17. court — of a king
  18. staff — employees
  19. root — of a word
  20. cap — a lid
  21. court — for sport
  22. root — the cause
  23. cap — a hat
  24. charge — electricity

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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