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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 120 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. The King held a masked ________________.
  3. False peace will not ________________.
  4. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  5. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  6. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  7. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  8. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  9. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  10. Don't do anything ________________.
  11. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  12. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  13. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  14. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  15. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  16. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  17. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  18. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  19. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  20. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  21. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  22. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  23. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  24. At ________________, we arrived at the village.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — a price
  2. ball — a dance
  3. last — to go on
  4. rash — on the skin
  5. rock — a stone
  6. wake — to stop sleeping
  7. charge — in control
  8. cap — a hat
  9. root — of a plant
  10. rash — hasty
  11. cap — of ice
  12. rock — to move gently
  13. rash — a series
  14. ball — a round shape
  15. wake — a trail
  16. charge — electricity
  17. rock — music
  18. wake — before a funeral
  19. cap — a lid
  20. last — final
  21. root — of a word
  22. root — the cause
  23. ball — a great time
  24. last — finally

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