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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. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  2. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  3. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  4. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  5. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  6. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  7. When will it ________________ you to start?
  8. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  9. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  10. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  11. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  12. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  13. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  14. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  15. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  16. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  17. The tickets are free of ________________.
  18. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  19. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  20. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  21. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  22. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  23. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  24. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — in cards
  2. trunk — of a tree
  3. charge — electricity
  4. field — farmland
  5. chair — to sit on
  6. trunk — of a car
  7. suit — to fit
  8. charge — in control
  9. field — for sport
  10. field — a subject
  11. chair — a leader
  12. root — of a word
  13. racket — a loud noise
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. chair — a professorship
  16. root — the cause
  17. charge — a price
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. capital — a city
  20. root — of a plant
  21. trunk — of an elephant
  22. capital — a big letter
  23. suit — clothes
  24. capital — money

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