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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 ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  2. Have you found your soul ________________?
  3. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  4. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  5. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  6. The tickets are free of ________________.
  7. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  8. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  9. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  10. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  11. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  12. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  13. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  14. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  15. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  16. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  17. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  18. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  19. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  20. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  21. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  22. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  23. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  24. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a word
  2. mate — a partner
  3. scale — for weighing
  4. charge — in control
  5. wake — before a funeral
  6. charge — a price
  7. root — the cause
  8. wake — a trail
  9. can — to be able to
  10. wake — to stop sleeping
  11. charge — electricity
  12. track — a path
  13. drill — a practice
  14. can — a tin
  15. scale — in music
  16. drill — army training
  17. mate — a friend
  18. can — a tin
  19. drill — the tool
  20. mate — to breed
  21. track — to keep track
  22. scale — size or range
  23. root — of a plant
  24. track — a song

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