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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. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  2. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  3. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  4. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  5. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  6. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  7. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  8. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  9. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  10. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  11. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  12. The tickets are free of ________________.
  13. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  14. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  15. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  16. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  17. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  18. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  19. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  20. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  21. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  22. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  23. My father caught me by the ________________.
  24. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — in football
  2. jam — in traffic
  3. scale — size or range
  4. root — of a plant
  5. kick — with a leg
  6. root — the cause
  7. jam — to spread on bread
  8. scale — in music
  9. jam — a tight spot
  10. root — of a word
  11. march — music
  12. charge — a price
  13. charge — in control
  14. arm — a part of something
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. field — a subject
  17. field — farmland
  18. march — the month
  19. field — for sport
  20. charge — electricity
  21. march — the month
  22. scale — for weighing
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. kick — a thrill

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