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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 ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  2. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  3. The tickets are free of ________________.
  4. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  5. David sat on the ________________.
  6. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  7. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  8. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  9. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  10. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  11. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  12. Did you ________________ the meat?
  13. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  14. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  15. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  16. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  17. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  18. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  19. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  20. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  21. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  22. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  23. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  24. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a plant
  2. charge — electricity
  3. charge — a price
  4. pit — in a race
  5. swing — to play on
  6. pit — a fruit stone
  7. branch — a division
  8. swing — in golf
  9. chest — of your body
  10. swing — music
  11. chest — of your body
  12. season — to add flavour
  13. bark — a dog's sound
  14. branch — of a tree
  15. chest — a box
  16. season — of the year
  17. root — the cause
  18. season — in sport
  19. bark — of a tree
  20. charge — in control
  21. root — of a word
  22. pit — a hole
  23. bark — to shout
  24. branch — of a bank

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