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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 · wake · root · rule · present · pitch · chest · branch

  1. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  2. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  3. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  4. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  5. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  6. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  7. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  8. The tickets are free of ________________.
  9. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  10. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  11. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  12. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  13. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  14. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  15. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  16. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  17. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  18. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  19. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  20. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  21. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  22. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  23. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  24. The players ran onto the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. root — the cause
  2. chest — of your body
  3. present — the time now
  4. pitch — a sales talk
  5. wake — before a funeral
  6. branch — of a tree
  7. pitch — completely
  8. charge — a price
  9. charge — in control
  10. rule — government
  11. root — of a word
  12. branch — a division
  13. wake — to stop sleeping
  14. branch — of a bank
  15. wake — a trail
  16. present — there
  17. present — a gift
  18. root — of a plant
  19. chest — a box
  20. chest — of your body
  21. rule — to rule out
  22. charge — electricity
  23. rule — a law
  24. pitch — a sports field

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