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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. I'll be taking the ________________.
  2. Have you found your soul ________________?
  3. The tickets are free of ________________.
  4. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  5. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  6. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  7. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  8. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  9. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  10. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  11. That was ________________ to happen.
  12. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  13. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  14. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  15. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  16. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  17. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  18. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  19. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  20. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  21. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  22. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  23. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  24. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — the underground
  2. mate — a partner
  3. charge — a price
  4. mate — to breed
  5. trunk — of a car
  6. charge — electricity
  7. deal — an agreement
  8. bound — obliged
  9. tube — in a tire
  10. charge — in control
  11. bound — certain
  12. root — of a word
  13. cue — a hint
  14. trunk — of an elephant
  15. deal — to handle
  16. trunk — of a tree
  17. cue — a signal
  18. root — the cause
  19. tube — a container
  20. deal — a big deal
  21. mate — a friend
  22. root — of a plant
  23. cue — for pool
  24. bound — tied together

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