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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. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  3. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  4. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  5. The tickets are free of ________________.
  6. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  7. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  8. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  9. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  10. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  11. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  12. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  13. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  14. My father caught me by the ________________.
  15. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  16. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  17. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  18. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  19. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  20. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  21. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  22. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  23. It's one o'clock ________________.
  24. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — electricity
  2. foot — the bottom
  3. march — music
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. charge — a price
  6. charge — in control
  7. sharp — clever
  8. track — a song
  9. march — the month
  10. root — of a plant
  11. root — of a word
  12. root — the cause
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. track — a path
  16. safe — a strongbox
  17. foot — a measure
  18. sharp — with an edge
  19. foot — part of the body
  20. arm — a part of something
  21. track — to keep track
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. sharp — exactly
  24. march — the month

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