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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: root · club · charge · press · file · deal · stand · march

  1. The tickets are free of ________________.
  2. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  3. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  4. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  5. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  6. I can't ________________ this cold.
  7. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  8. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  9. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  10. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  11. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  12. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  13. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  14. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  15. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  16. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  17. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  18. Did you ________________ the button?
  19. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  20. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  21. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  22. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  23. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  24. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — a price
  2. root — of a plant
  3. march — the month
  4. press — a publisher
  5. root — the cause
  6. stand — to bear
  7. march — music
  8. file — a tool
  9. stand — for spectators
  10. file — a line of people
  11. club — for golf
  12. march — the month
  13. club — for dancing
  14. charge — electricity
  15. press — newspapers
  16. deal — a big deal
  17. club — a group
  18. press — to push
  19. charge — in control
  20. deal — to handle
  21. file — a document
  22. stand — on your feet
  23. deal — an agreement
  24. root — of a word

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