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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. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  2. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  3. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  4. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  5. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  6. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  7. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  8. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  9. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  10. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  11. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  12. The tickets are free of ________________.
  13. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  14. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  15. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  16. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  17. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  18. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  19. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  20. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  21. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  22. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  23. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  24. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?

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

Answer key

  1. charge — in control
  2. object — an aim
  3. charge — electricity
  4. pass — a permit
  5. root — of a word
  6. pitch — a sales talk
  7. pass — to succeed
  8. pound — to hit hard
  9. pitch — a sports field
  10. pound — a weight
  11. drill — a practice
  12. charge — a price
  13. drill — army training
  14. pitch — completely
  15. drill — the tool
  16. object — a thing
  17. march — music
  18. root — the cause
  19. pass — to spend time
  20. march — the month
  21. march — the month
  22. pound — for dogs
  23. root — of a plant
  24. object — to protest

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