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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. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  2. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  3. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  4. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  5. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  6. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  7. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  8. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  9. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  10. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  11. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  12. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  13. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  14. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  15. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  16. Where did you ________________ them?
  17. Have you settled on a ________________?
  18. When will it ________________ you to start?
  19. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  20. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  21. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  22. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  23. The tickets are free of ________________.
  24. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — electricity
  2. root — of a word
  3. suit — clothes
  4. chair — a professorship
  5. wake — before a funeral
  6. chair — a leader
  7. suit — in cards
  8. mug — a cup
  9. root — the cause
  10. charge — in control
  11. wake — a trail
  12. date — the fruit
  13. bear — to put up with
  14. bear — the animal
  15. wake — to stop sleeping
  16. mug — to rob
  17. date — on the calendar
  18. suit — to fit
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. root — of a plant
  21. bear — the animal
  22. chair — to sit on
  23. charge — a price
  24. mug — a face

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