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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: straw · root · chair · key · pit · tube · branch · charge

  1. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  2. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  3. I'll be taking the ________________.
  4. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  5. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  6. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  7. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  8. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  9. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  10. The tickets are free of ________________.
  11. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  12. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  13. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  14. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  15. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  16. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  17. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  18. This piece is in a major ________________.
  19. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  20. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  21. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  22. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  23. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  24. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — a straw man
  2. key — for a lock
  3. tube — the underground
  4. chair — a leader
  5. pit — a hole
  6. branch — of a tree
  7. root — of a word
  8. pit — a fruit stone
  9. root — the cause
  10. charge — a price
  11. key — the most important part
  12. tube — in a tire
  13. branch — a division
  14. pit — in a race
  15. charge — in control
  16. tube — a container
  17. chair — a professorship
  18. key — in music
  19. chair — to sit on
  20. charge — electricity
  21. branch — of a bank
  22. straw — dry grass
  23. straw — to clutch at straws
  24. root — of a plant

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