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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. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  3. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  4. The ________________ market has crashed.
  5. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  6. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  7. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  8. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  9. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  10. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  11. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  12. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  13. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  14. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  15. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  16. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  17. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  18. The tickets are free of ________________.
  19. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  20. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  21. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  22. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  23. Did you ________________ the button?
  24. I assure you, everything's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — in control
  2. track — to keep track
  3. cap — a lid
  4. stock — shares
  5. cap — a hat
  6. fine — a penalty
  7. cap — of ice
  8. track — a path
  9. fine — high quality
  10. root — of a plant
  11. track — a song
  12. press — a publisher
  13. row — to paddle
  14. stock — a soup base
  15. stock — goods
  16. root — the cause
  17. charge — electricity
  18. charge — a price
  19. root — of a word
  20. row — a line
  21. row — a quarrel
  22. press — newspapers
  23. press — to push
  24. fine — all right

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