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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. That was a fun ________________.
  2. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  3. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  4. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  5. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  6. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  7. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  8. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  9. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  10. The tickets are free of ________________.
  11. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  12. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  13. There's no middle ________________.
  14. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  15. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  16. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  17. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  18. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  19. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  20. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  21. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  22. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  23. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  24. He has no idea where the ________________ is.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a match
  2. trunk — of a tree
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. ground — the earth
  5. mark — a grade
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. root — of a word
  8. charge — electricity
  9. trunk — of a car
  10. charge — a price
  11. charge — in control
  12. root — of a plant
  13. ground — a position
  14. trunk — of an elephant
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. game — wild animals
  17. mark — a trace
  18. racket — a loud noise
  19. game — a kind of play
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. root — the cause
  22. mark — to pay attention
  23. ground — crushed
  24. safe — a strongbox

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