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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. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  2. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  3. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  4. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  5. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  6. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  7. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  8. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  9. The tickets are free of ________________.
  10. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  11. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  12. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  13. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  14. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  15. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  16. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  17. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  18. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  19. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  20. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  21. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  22. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  23. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  24. Have you met the new head ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. spring — of water
  2. pit — a fruit stone
  3. root — of a word
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. file — a line of people
  6. charge — electricity
  7. pass — to succeed
  8. root — the cause
  9. charge — a price
  10. root — of a plant
  11. spring — a coil
  12. spring — the season
  13. pass — to spend time
  14. pit — in a race
  15. fan — to cool the air
  16. pass — a permit
  17. pit — a hole
  18. file — a document
  19. charge — in control
  20. file — a tool
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. coach — pulled by horses
  24. coach — a trainer

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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