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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. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  2. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  3. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  4. Where did you ________________ them?
  5. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  6. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  7. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  8. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  9. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  10. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  11. Have you settled on a ________________?
  12. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  13. That was a fun ________________.
  14. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  15. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  16. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  17. The tickets are free of ________________.
  18. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  19. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  20. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  21. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  22. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  23. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  24. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — in control
  2. root — of a word
  3. trunk — of a tree
  4. mug — to rob
  5. mug — a cup
  6. staff — employees
  7. root — the cause
  8. game — wild animals
  9. date — the fruit
  10. trunk — of a car
  11. date — on the calendar
  12. date — on the calendar
  13. game — a match
  14. staff — a stick
  15. mug — a face
  16. staff — employees
  17. charge — a price
  18. root — of a plant
  19. charge — electricity
  20. pitch — completely
  21. trunk — of an elephant
  22. game — a kind of play
  23. pitch — a sports field
  24. pitch — a sales talk

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