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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. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  3. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  4. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  5. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  6. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  7. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  8. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  9. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  10. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  11. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  12. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  13. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  14. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  15. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  16. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  17. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  18. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  19. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  20. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  21. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  22. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  23. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  24. The elephant has a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — a price
  2. trunk — of a car
  3. spring — of water
  4. bark — to shout
  5. pit — a hole
  6. root — the cause
  7. root — of a word
  8. charge — electricity
  9. vault — an arched ceiling
  10. vault — in gymnastics
  11. spring — a coil
  12. pit — a fruit stone
  13. vault — a safe
  14. trunk — of a tree
  15. racket — a loud noise
  16. pit — in a race
  17. charge — in control
  18. root — of a plant
  19. bark — of a tree
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. spring — the season
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. bark — a dog's sound
  24. trunk — of an elephant

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