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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. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  2. You don't need to ________________ round.
  3. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  4. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  5. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  6. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  7. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  8. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  9. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  10. The ________________ market has crashed.
  11. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  12. The tickets are free of ________________.
  13. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  14. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  15. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  16. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  17. That must've been a ________________.
  18. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  19. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  20. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  21. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  22. We're almost out of ________________.
  23. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  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. tear — to rip
  2. pop — to visit
  3. charge — electricity
  4. clip — to cut
  5. root — of a word
  6. rush — hurry
  7. clip — a video
  8. root — of a plant
  9. clip — for paper
  10. stock — shares
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. charge — a price
  13. stock — a soup base
  14. root — the cause
  15. tear — from crying
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. rush — a thrill
  18. racket — a loud noise
  19. stock — goods
  20. rush — to hurry
  21. pop — music
  22. pop — soda
  23. tear — from crying
  24. charge — in control

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