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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 116 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 ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  2. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  3. The tickets are free of ________________.
  4. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  5. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  6. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  7. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  8. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  9. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  10. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  11. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  12. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  13. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  14. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  15. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  16. That was ________________ to happen.
  17. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  18. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  19. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  20. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  21. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  22. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  23. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  24. We are ________________ to obey laws.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — for baseball
  2. bat — the animal
  3. charge — a price
  4. bound — tied together
  5. bat — in an idiom
  6. charge — in control
  7. root — of a plant
  8. prune — the fruit
  9. root — of a word
  10. present — a gift
  11. present — there
  12. deal — a big deal
  13. present — the time now
  14. deal — an agreement
  15. prune — to trim
  16. bound — certain
  17. branch — of a bank
  18. branch — a division
  19. prune — to trim
  20. branch — of a tree
  21. root — the cause
  22. deal — to handle
  23. charge — electricity
  24. bound — obliged

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