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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 · root · fork · pass · charge · game · net · kick

  1. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  2. That was a fun ________________.
  3. The tickets are free of ________________.
  4. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  5. He was locked up in a ________________.
  6. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  7. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  8. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  9. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  10. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  11. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  12. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  13. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  14. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  15. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  16. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  17. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  18. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  19. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  20. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  21. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  22. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  23. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  24. You can't go backstage without a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to spend time
  2. game — a match
  3. charge — a price
  4. net — in sport
  5. cell — in a prison
  6. kick — with a leg
  7. charge — in control
  8. cell — a phone
  9. charge — electricity
  10. kick — in football
  11. root — the cause
  12. game — a kind of play
  13. fork — a garden tool
  14. game — wild animals
  15. net — for catching
  16. kick — a thrill
  17. fork — in a road
  18. pass — to succeed
  19. fork — to eat with
  20. net — after costs
  21. root — of a word
  22. root — of a plant
  23. cell — in biology
  24. pass — a permit

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