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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
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: clip · mark · pass · cap · bark · mug · charge · root

  1. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  2. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  3. Where did you ________________ them?
  4. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  5. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  6. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  7. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  8. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  9. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  10. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  11. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  12. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  13. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  14. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  15. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  16. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  17. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  18. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  19. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  20. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  21. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  22. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  23. The tickets are free of ________________.
  24. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — electricity
  2. root — of a word
  3. mug — to rob
  4. mark — a grade
  5. root — the cause
  6. bark — to shout
  7. clip — a video
  8. charge — in control
  9. mug — a cup
  10. mark — to pay attention
  11. clip — to cut
  12. clip — for paper
  13. pass — a permit
  14. bark — a dog's sound
  15. pass — to spend time
  16. cap — a hat
  17. pass — to succeed
  18. bark — of a tree
  19. mug — a face
  20. cap — of ice
  21. root — of a plant
  22. cap — a lid
  23. charge — a price
  24. mark — a trace

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