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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 ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  2. The tickets are free of ________________.
  3. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  4. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  5. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  6. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  7. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  8. It's one o'clock ________________.
  9. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  10. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  11. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  12. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  13. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  14. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  15. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  16. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  17. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  18. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  19. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  20. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  21. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  22. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  23. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  24. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a word
  2. charge — a price
  3. charge — electricity
  4. band — a rubber band
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. staff — a stick
  7. fine — all right
  8. sharp — exactly
  9. sharp — clever
  10. root — of a plant
  11. staff — employees
  12. fine — high quality
  13. root — the cause
  14. staff — employees
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. sharp — with an edge
  17. clip — for paper
  18. fine — a penalty
  19. charge — in control
  20. stick — to attach or keep to
  21. band — a music group
  22. band — a ring
  23. clip — a video
  24. clip — to cut

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