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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 120 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. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  2. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  3. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  4. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  5. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  6. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  7. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  8. My mare is ________________ in color.
  9. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  10. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  11. My father caught me by the ________________.
  12. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  13. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  14. Don't do anything ________________.
  15. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  16. That must've been a ________________.
  17. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  18. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  19. The tickets are free of ________________.
  20. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  21. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  22. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  23. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  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. rush — hurry
  2. net — after costs
  3. root — of a plant
  4. scale — for weighing
  5. root — the cause
  6. rash — a series
  7. charge — electricity
  8. bay — a horse colour
  9. arm — a part of something
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. rash — on the skin
  13. net — for catching
  14. rash — hasty
  15. scale — in music
  16. rush — a thrill
  17. bay — a part of the sea
  18. root — of a word
  19. charge — a price
  20. bay — to keep at bay
  21. scale — size or range
  22. rush — to hurry
  23. net — in sport
  24. charge — in control

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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