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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. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  2. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  3. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  4. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  5. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  6. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  7. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  8. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  9. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  10. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  11. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  12. He is an ace ________________.
  13. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  14. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  15. How do you ________________ your surname?
  16. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  17. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  18. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  19. The tickets are free of ________________.
  20. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  21. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  22. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  23. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  24. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — in control
  2. spell — a short time
  3. root — the cause
  4. mine — for digging
  5. race — a contest
  6. leaves — lets stay
  7. spell — magic
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. leaves — of a tree
  10. root — of a word
  11. charge — electricity
  12. pitcher — in baseball
  13. fine — all right
  14. mine — belonging to me
  15. spell — letters
  16. root — of a plant
  17. race — the arms race
  18. fine — high quality
  19. charge — a price
  20. mine — an explosive
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. fine — a penalty
  23. leaves — to go away
  24. race — humankind

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