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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 120 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. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  2. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  3. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  4. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  5. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  6. There's no middle ________________.
  7. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  8. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  9. The tickets are free of ________________.
  10. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  11. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  12. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  13. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  14. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  15. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  16. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  17. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  18. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  19. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  20. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  21. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  22. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  23. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  24. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — a loud noise
  2. root — the cause
  3. charge — in control
  4. pit — a hole
  5. pit — a fruit stone
  6. ground — a position
  7. root — of a word
  8. bark — of a tree
  9. charge — a price
  10. fine — a penalty
  11. ground — the earth
  12. bark — to shout
  13. charge — electricity
  14. fine — high quality
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. staff — employees
  17. staff — a stick
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. bark — a dog's sound
  20. ground — crushed
  21. root — of a plant
  22. staff — employees
  23. fine — all right
  24. pit — in a race

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