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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. The tickets are free of ________________.
  2. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  3. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  4. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  5. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  6. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  7. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  8. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  9. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  10. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  11. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  12. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  13. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  14. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  15. David sat on the ________________.
  16. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  17. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  18. The ________________ went through the wall.
  19. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  20. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  21. Don't do anything ________________.
  22. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  23. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  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. charge — a price
  2. track — a path
  3. chair — to sit on
  4. chair — a leader
  5. swing — in golf
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. charge — electricity
  9. root — the cause
  10. nail — on a finger
  11. root — of a plant
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. swing — music
  14. rash — a series
  15. swing — to play on
  16. chair — a professorship
  17. track — to keep track
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. charge — in control
  20. patient — calm and waiting
  21. rash — hasty
  22. root — of a word
  23. rash — on the skin
  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