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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. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  2. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  3. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  4. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  5. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  6. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  7. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  8. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  9. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  10. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  11. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  12. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  13. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  14. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  15. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  16. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  17. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  18. He is an ace ________________.
  19. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  20. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  21. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  22. That must've been a ________________.
  23. The tickets are free of ________________.
  24. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — electricity
  2. rush — to hurry
  3. root — of a word
  4. root — the cause
  5. rush — hurry
  6. bank — for money
  7. track — to keep track
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. stem — to come from
  10. root — of a plant
  11. pitch — a sales talk
  12. pitch — completely
  13. track — a song
  14. pitch — a sports field
  15. bank — for money
  16. charge — in control
  17. track — a path
  18. pitcher — in baseball
  19. stem — of a plant
  20. stem — a stem cell
  21. bank — of a river
  22. rush — a thrill
  23. charge — a price
  24. pitcher — a jug

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