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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 116 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. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  2. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  3. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  4. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  5. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  6. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  7. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  8. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  9. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  10. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  11. There's no middle ________________.
  12. The tickets are free of ________________.
  13. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  14. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  15. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  16. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  17. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  18. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  19. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  20. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  21. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  22. The ball is in your ________________.
  23. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  24. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. charge — electricity
  4. safe — a strongbox
  5. charge — in control
  6. shower — rain
  7. court — of law
  8. shower — a meteor shower
  9. court — of a king
  10. shower — to wash
  11. ground — a position
  12. charge — a price
  13. patient — calm and waiting
  14. racket — a loud noise
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. root — of a plant
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. ground — the earth
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. ground — crushed
  21. root — the cause
  22. court — for sport
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. root — of a word

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