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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 tickets are free of ________________.
  2. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  3. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  4. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  5. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  6. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  7. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  8. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  9. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  10. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  11. There's no middle ________________.
  12. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  13. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  14. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  15. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  16. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  17. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  18. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  19. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  20. Where did you ________________ them?
  21. David sat on the ________________.
  22. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  23. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  24. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — a price
  2. swing — music
  3. charge — electricity
  4. charge — in control
  5. mug — a cup
  6. root — of a word
  7. ground — the earth
  8. present — a gift
  9. prune — the fruit
  10. ground — crushed
  11. ground — a position
  12. foot — the bottom
  13. root — of a plant
  14. swing — in golf
  15. foot — a measure
  16. mug — a face
  17. foot — part of the body
  18. present — the time now
  19. present — there
  20. mug — to rob
  21. swing — to play on
  22. prune — to trim
  23. prune — to trim
  24. root — the cause

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