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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: spell · sharp · bowl · race · chest · track · root · charge

  1. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  2. How do you ________________ your surname?
  3. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  4. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  5. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  6. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  7. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  8. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  9. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  10. It's one o'clock ________________.
  11. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  12. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  13. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  14. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  15. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  16. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  17. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  18. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  19. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  20. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  21. The tickets are free of ________________.
  22. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  23. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  24. Where can I ________________ my mobile?

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a word
  2. spell — letters
  3. charge — in control
  4. chest — a box
  5. race — the arms race
  6. bowl — to roll
  7. spell — magic
  8. track — to keep track
  9. bowl — a dish
  10. sharp — exactly
  11. chest — of your body
  12. track — a song
  13. spell — a short time
  14. sharp — clever
  15. root — of a plant
  16. root — the cause
  17. track — a path
  18. race — a contest
  19. race — humankind
  20. chest — of your body
  21. charge — a price
  22. bowl — a football final
  23. sharp — with an edge
  24. charge — electricity

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