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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. We're on a ________________ here.
  3. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  4. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  5. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  6. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  7. The tickets are free of ________________.
  8. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  9. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  10. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  11. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  12. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  13. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  14. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  15. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  16. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  17. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  18. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  19. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  20. When was this ________________ built?
  21. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  22. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  23. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  24. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — electricity
  2. roll — on a roll
  3. capital — a big letter
  4. vault — in gymnastics
  5. root — the cause
  6. fork — to eat with
  7. charge — a price
  8. field — for sport
  9. charge — in control
  10. fork — a garden tool
  11. capital — money
  12. roll — a list
  13. fork — in a road
  14. roll — a cake
  15. temple — side of the head
  16. field — farmland
  17. root — of a plant
  18. vault — an arched ceiling
  19. field — a subject
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. vault — a safe
  22. capital — a city
  23. root — of a word
  24. temple — a place of worship

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