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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 ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  2. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  3. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  4. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  5. David sat on the ________________.
  6. The light ________________ burned out.
  7. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  8. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  9. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  10. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  11. The tickets are free of ________________.
  12. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  13. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  14. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  15. I've got to change the light ________________.
  16. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  17. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  18. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  19. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  20. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  21. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  22. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  23. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  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. root — of a word
  2. charge — electricity
  3. cue — a signal
  4. swing — in golf
  5. swing — to play on
  6. bulb — for light
  7. root — of a plant
  8. cue — a hint
  9. band — a rubber band
  10. squash — the sport
  11. charge — a price
  12. bulb — of a plant
  13. squash — to crush
  14. march — music
  15. bulb — for light
  16. cue — for pool
  17. root — the cause
  18. band — a music group
  19. squash — the vegetable
  20. swing — music
  21. march — the month
  22. band — a ring
  23. march — the month
  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