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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 potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  2. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  3. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  4. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  5. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  6. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  7. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  8. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  9. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  10. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  11. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  12. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  13. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  14. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  15. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  16. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  17. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  18. Did you ________________ the meat?
  19. The tickets are free of ________________.
  20. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  21. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  22. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  23. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  24. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — to eat
  2. bass — the instrument
  3. root — of a word
  4. charge — in control
  5. bark — to shout
  6. squash — the sport
  7. season — of the year
  8. wake — before a funeral
  9. wake — a trail
  10. chip — for betting
  11. bass — low music
  12. squash — to crush
  13. bass — the fish
  14. chip — in a computer
  15. season — in sport
  16. bark — a dog's sound
  17. root — the cause
  18. season — to add flavour
  19. charge — a price
  20. root — of a plant
  21. bark — of a tree
  22. squash — the vegetable
  23. charge — electricity
  24. wake — to stop sleeping

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