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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. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  2. When are we going to ________________?
  3. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  4. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  5. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  6. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  7. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  8. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  9. We're on a ________________ here.
  10. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  11. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  12. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  13. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  14. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  15. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  16. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  17. The tickets are free of ________________.
  18. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  19. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  20. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  21. Did you ________________ the meat?
  22. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  23. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  24. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — a cake
  2. land — to come down
  3. charge — electricity
  4. vault — an arched ceiling
  5. root — of a plant
  6. vault — in gymnastics
  7. charge — in control
  8. snap — to click
  9. roll — on a roll
  10. root — the cause
  11. root — of a word
  12. roll — a list
  13. land — a country
  14. season — in sport
  15. vault — a safe
  16. season — of the year
  17. charge — a price
  18. bass — the fish
  19. bass — the instrument
  20. snap — to snap out of it
  21. season — to add flavour
  22. bass — low music
  23. snap — to speak sharply
  24. land — ground

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