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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. The tickets are free of ________________.
  2. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  3. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  4. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  5. That was ________________ to happen.
  6. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  7. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  8. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  9. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  10. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  11. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  12. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  13. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  14. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  15. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  16. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  17. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  18. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  19. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  20. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  21. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  22. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  23. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  24. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — a price
  2. pitch — a sales talk
  3. trunk — of an elephant
  4. charge — electricity
  5. bound — certain
  6. charge — in control
  7. march — the month
  8. bound — tied together
  9. trunk — of a tree
  10. lash — an eyelash
  11. pitch — completely
  12. chip — for betting
  13. march — the month
  14. pitch — a sports field
  15. root — the cause
  16. lash — a whip stroke
  17. march — music
  18. lash — to lash out
  19. root — of a word
  20. trunk — of a car
  21. bound — obliged
  22. chip — in a computer
  23. root — of a plant
  24. chip — to eat

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