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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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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: charge · root · fall · swing · bat · stand · foot · toast

  1. The tickets are free of ________________.
  2. I can't ________________ this cold.
  3. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  4. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  5. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  6. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  7. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  8. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  9. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  10. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  11. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  12. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  13. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  14. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  15. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  16. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  17. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  18. David sat on the ________________.
  19. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  20. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  21. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  22. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  23. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  24. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — a price
  2. stand — to bear
  3. root — of a plant
  4. charge — electricity
  5. fall — to drop
  6. charge — in control
  7. fall — to drop
  8. root — the cause
  9. bat — the animal
  10. foot — part of the body
  11. swing — in golf
  12. foot — a measure
  13. swing — music
  14. toast — a drink to someone
  15. bat — for baseball
  16. bat — in an idiom
  17. stand — for spectators
  18. swing — to play on
  19. foot — the bottom
  20. root — of a word
  21. toast — the most admired
  22. fall — the season
  23. toast — bread
  24. stand — on your feet

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