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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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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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 like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  2. The tickets are free of ________________.
  3. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  4. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  5. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  6. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  7. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  8. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  9. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  10. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  11. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  12. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  13. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  14. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  15. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  16. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  17. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  18. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  19. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  20. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  21. She's very handy with a ________________.
  22. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  23. He works in a ________________ mill.
  24. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — bread
  2. charge — a price
  3. pitch — a sales talk
  4. root — the cause
  5. pound — for dogs
  6. fork — to eat with
  7. leaves — lets stay
  8. leaves — to go away
  9. saw — past of 'see'
  10. charge — in control
  11. toast — a drink to someone
  12. fork — in a road
  13. pitch — completely
  14. root — of a plant
  15. pitch — a sports field
  16. leaves — of a tree
  17. fork — a garden tool
  18. pound — a weight
  19. charge — electricity
  20. root — of a word
  21. saw — the tool
  22. toast — the most admired
  23. saw — the tool
  24. pound — to hit hard

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