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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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: bat · stick · rash · root · staff · charge

  1. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  2. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  3. The tickets are free of ________________.
  4. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  5. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  6. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  7. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  8. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  9. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  10. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  11. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  12. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  13. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  14. Don't do anything ________________.
  15. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  16. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  17. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  18. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — a series
  2. root — of a plant
  3. charge — a price
  4. staff — a stick
  5. root — the cause
  6. staff — employees
  7. staff — employees
  8. root — of a word
  9. charge — in control
  10. stick — to attach or keep to
  11. charge — electricity
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. rash — hasty
  15. bat — in an idiom
  16. bat — the animal
  17. rash — on the skin
  18. bat — for baseball

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