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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. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  2. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  3. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  4. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  5. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  6. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  7. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  8. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  9. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  10. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  11. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  12. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  13. The tickets are free of ________________.
  14. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  15. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  16. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  17. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  18. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  19. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  20. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  21. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  22. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  23. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  24. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — before a funeral
  2. charge — electricity
  3. leaves — of a tree
  4. squash — the sport
  5. squash — to crush
  6. pound — to hit hard
  7. root — the cause
  8. leaves — to go away
  9. scale — in music
  10. squash — the vegetable
  11. charge — in control
  12. wake — to stop sleeping
  13. charge — a price
  14. pound — for dogs
  15. scale — for weighing
  16. fork — to eat with
  17. root — of a plant
  18. pound — a weight
  19. leaves — lets stay
  20. root — of a word
  21. fork — in a road
  22. scale — size or range
  23. fork — a garden tool
  24. wake — a trail

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