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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 120 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: sharp · charge · stand · root · fork · face · clip · ground

  1. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  2. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  3. There's no middle ________________.
  4. It's one o'clock ________________.
  5. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  6. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  7. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  8. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  9. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  10. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  11. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  12. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  13. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  14. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  15. The tickets are free of ________________.
  16. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  17. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  18. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  19. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  20. I can't ________________ this cold.
  21. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  22. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  23. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  24. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — in control
  2. root — the cause
  3. ground — a position
  4. sharp — exactly
  5. fork — in a road
  6. sharp — clever
  7. fork — to eat with
  8. stand — for spectators
  9. charge — electricity
  10. ground — the earth
  11. root — of a word
  12. face — part of the head
  13. clip — for paper
  14. stand — on your feet
  15. charge — a price
  16. clip — to cut
  17. sharp — with an edge
  18. face — to point toward
  19. clip — a video
  20. stand — to bear
  21. ground — crushed
  22. root — of a plant
  23. fork — a garden tool
  24. face — to confront

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