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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. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  3. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  4. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  5. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  6. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  7. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  8. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  9. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  10. When are we going to ________________?
  11. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  12. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  13. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  14. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  15. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  16. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  17. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  18. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  19. The tickets are free of ________________.
  20. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  21. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  22. You don't need to ________________ round.
  23. We're almost out of ________________.
  24. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — electricity
  2. root — the cause
  3. march — music
  4. root — of a plant
  5. march — the month
  6. dip — to sink
  7. dip — a sauce
  8. root — of a word
  9. row — a line
  10. land — to come down
  11. pop — music
  12. march — the month
  13. land — ground
  14. row — to paddle
  15. band — a ring
  16. row — a quarrel
  17. band — a rubber band
  18. land — a country
  19. charge — a price
  20. dip — to dunk
  21. band — a music group
  22. pop — to visit
  23. pop — soda
  24. charge — in control

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