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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 tickets are free of ________________.
  2. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  3. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  4. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  5. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  6. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  7. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  8. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  9. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  10. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  11. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  12. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  13. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  14. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  15. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  16. The ________________ took off on time.
  17. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  18. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  19. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  20. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  21. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  22. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  23. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  24. Should I buy a wireless ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. charge — a price
  2. drill — the tool
  3. club — a group
  4. root — of a word
  5. band — a ring
  6. net — for catching
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. drill — a practice
  9. charge — in control
  10. net — in sport
  11. drill — army training
  12. plane — in geometry
  13. plane — a tool
  14. root — of a plant
  15. net — after costs
  16. plane — an aircraft
  17. charge — electricity
  18. root — the cause
  19. club — for dancing
  20. band — a rubber band
  21. club — for golf
  22. band — a music group
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. mouse — for a computer

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