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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: cell · stick · band · root · board · racket · charge · fan

  1. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  2. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  3. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  4. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  5. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  6. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  7. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  8. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  9. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  10. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  11. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  12. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  13. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  14. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  15. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  16. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  17. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  18. The tickets are free of ________________.
  19. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  20. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  21. He was locked up in a ________________.
  22. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  23. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  24. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. racket — a loud noise
  3. band — a rubber band
  4. cell — a phone
  5. root — the cause
  6. charge — electricity
  7. fan — to cool the air
  8. cell — in biology
  9. charge — in control
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. band — a ring
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. board — to get on
  14. stick — to attach or keep to
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. band — a music group
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. charge — a price
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. board — a flat piece
  21. cell — in a prison
  22. root — of a plant
  23. board — a committee
  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