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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.

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: game · trunk · pass · bat · charge · root · can · hide

  1. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  2. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  3. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  4. The tickets are free of ________________.
  5. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  6. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  7. That was a fun ________________.
  8. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  9. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  10. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  11. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  12. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  13. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  14. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  15. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  16. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  17. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  18. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  19. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  20. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  21. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  22. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  23. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  24. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.

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

Answer key

  1. root — the cause
  2. pass — to succeed
  3. pass — to spend time
  4. charge — a price
  5. bat — the animal
  6. can — a tin
  7. game — a match
  8. pass — a permit
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. trunk — of a car
  11. root — of a plant
  12. charge — electricity
  13. bat — for baseball
  14. can — a tin
  15. trunk — of an elephant
  16. can — to be able to
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. charge — in control
  19. trunk — of a tree
  20. game — a kind of play
  21. bat — in an idiom
  22. game — wild animals
  23. root — of a word
  24. hide — animal skin

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