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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: rock · pitcher · root · deal · chest · straw · kick · charge

  1. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  2. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  3. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  4. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  5. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  6. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  7. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  8. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  9. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  10. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  11. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  12. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  13. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  14. The tickets are free of ________________.
  15. He is an ace ________________.
  16. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  17. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  18. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  19. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  20. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  21. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  22. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  23. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  24. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — electricity
  2. rock — music
  3. chest — a box
  4. charge — in control
  5. deal — a big deal
  6. kick — in football
  7. rock — a stone
  8. kick — with a leg
  9. root — the cause
  10. deal — an agreement
  11. root — of a word
  12. chest — of your body
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. charge — a price
  15. pitcher — in baseball
  16. straw — a straw man
  17. deal — to handle
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. straw — dry grass
  20. root — of a plant
  21. kick — a thrill
  22. straw — to clutch at straws
  23. rock — to move gently
  24. chest — of your body

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