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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: nail · tube · root · rule · roll · charge · bat · hand

  1. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  2. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  3. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  4. We're on a ________________ here.
  5. I'll be taking the ________________.
  6. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  7. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  8. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  9. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  10. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  11. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  12. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  13. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  14. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  15. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  16. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  17. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  18. The tickets are free of ________________.
  19. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  20. The ________________ went through the wall.
  21. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  22. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  23. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  24. Do you need a ________________ with that?

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a word
  2. roll — a cake
  3. root — of a plant
  4. roll — on a roll
  5. tube — the underground
  6. bat — in an idiom
  7. charge — in control
  8. rule — government
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. charge — electricity
  11. roll — a list
  12. tube — a container
  13. nail — on a finger
  14. rule — a law
  15. hand — part of the body
  16. bat — the animal
  17. hand — in cards
  18. charge — a price
  19. bat — for baseball
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. root — the cause
  22. rule — to rule out
  23. tube — in a tire
  24. hand — help

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