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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. He is an ace ________________.
  2. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  3. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  4. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  5. The tickets are free of ________________.
  6. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  7. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  8. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  9. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  10. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  11. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  12. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  13. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  14. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  15. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  16. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  17. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  18. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  19. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  20. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  21. I'll be taking the ________________.
  22. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  23. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  24. That must've been a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — in baseball
  2. rush — to hurry
  3. net — for catching
  4. net — after costs
  5. charge — a price
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. root — of a word
  8. root — the cause
  9. trunk — of a car
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. trunk — of an elephant
  12. tube — a container
  13. rest — what's left
  14. rest — what's left
  15. trunk — of a tree
  16. tube — in a tire
  17. rest — a break
  18. rush — hurry
  19. charge — electricity
  20. charge — in control
  21. tube — the underground
  22. root — of a plant
  23. net — in sport
  24. rush — a thrill

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