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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: bank · mate · mark · drill · foot · charge · season · root

  1. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  2. Did you ________________ the meat?
  3. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  4. The tickets are free of ________________.
  5. Have you found your soul ________________?
  6. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  7. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  8. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  9. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  10. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  11. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  12. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  13. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  14. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  15. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  16. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  17. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  18. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  19. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  20. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  21. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  22. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  23. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  24. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — in control
  2. season — to add flavour
  3. mate — a friend
  4. charge — a price
  5. mate — a partner
  6. season — in sport
  7. bank — for money
  8. drill — army training
  9. bank — of a river
  10. drill — a practice
  11. bank — for money
  12. root — of a plant
  13. mark — a trace
  14. root — of a word
  15. mark — a grade
  16. drill — the tool
  17. charge — electricity
  18. foot — part of the body
  19. foot — a measure
  20. foot — the bottom
  21. mark — to pay attention
  22. mate — to breed
  23. season — of the year
  24. root — the cause

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