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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: date · root · charge · can · mug · spell · jam · bat

  1. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  2. Have you settled on a ________________?
  3. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  4. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  5. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  6. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  7. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  8. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  9. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  10. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  11. How do you ________________ your surname?
  12. Where did you ________________ them?
  13. The tickets are free of ________________.
  14. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  15. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  16. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  17. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  18. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  19. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  20. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  21. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  22. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  23. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  24. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a word
  2. date — on the calendar
  3. jam — in traffic
  4. spell — a short time
  5. can — a tin
  6. charge — electricity
  7. bat — the animal
  8. charge — in control
  9. jam — to spread on bread
  10. can — to be able to
  11. spell — letters
  12. mug — to rob
  13. charge — a price
  14. jam — a tight spot
  15. root — the cause
  16. mug — a cup
  17. spell — magic
  18. mug — a face
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. root — of a plant
  21. date — the fruit
  22. bat — in an idiom
  23. can — a tin
  24. bat — for baseball

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