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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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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: mark · dip · tear · bear · root · charge · ruler · march

  1. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  2. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  3. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  4. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  5. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  6. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  7. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  8. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  9. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  10. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  11. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  12. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  13. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  14. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  15. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  16. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  17. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  18. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  19. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  20. The tickets are free of ________________.
  21. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  22. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  23. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  24. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — electricity
  2. bear — the animal
  3. mark — to pay attention
  4. tear — from crying
  5. tear — from crying
  6. mark — a grade
  7. charge — in control
  8. ruler — a monarch
  9. root — of a word
  10. march — the month
  11. dip — to sink
  12. dip — to dunk
  13. root — the cause
  14. mark — a trace
  15. root — of a plant
  16. bear — to put up with
  17. march — music
  18. march — the month
  19. dip — a sauce
  20. charge — a price
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. tear — to rip
  24. bear — the animal

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