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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. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  2. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  3. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  4. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  5. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  6. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  7. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  8. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  9. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  10. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  11. False peace will not ________________.
  12. The tickets are free of ________________.
  13. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  14. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  15. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  16. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  17. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  18. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  19. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  20. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  21. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  22. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  23. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  24. Where can I ________________ my mobile?

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. root — of a plant
  3. firm — steady
  4. bat — the animal
  5. firm — a company
  6. mark — to pay attention
  7. cap — a hat
  8. cap — a lid
  9. mark — a grade
  10. cap — of ice
  11. last — to go on
  12. charge — a price
  13. mark — a trace
  14. bat — for baseball
  15. charge — in control
  16. firm — decided
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. root — of a word
  19. bat — in an idiom
  20. fan — to cool the air
  21. last — final
  22. root — the cause
  23. last — finally
  24. charge — electricity

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