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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: root · shower · charge · arm · roll · mark · fine · date

  1. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  2. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  3. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  4. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  5. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  6. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  7. We're on a ________________ here.
  8. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  9. The tickets are free of ________________.
  10. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  11. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  12. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  13. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  14. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  15. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  16. My father caught me by the ________________.
  17. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  18. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  19. Have you settled on a ________________?
  20. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  21. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  22. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  23. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  24. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — a penalty
  2. arm — a part of something
  3. roll — a cake
  4. date — on the calendar
  5. root — of a word
  6. shower — a meteor shower
  7. roll — on a roll
  8. root — of a plant
  9. charge — a price
  10. fine — high quality
  11. shower — rain
  12. mark — a grade
  13. shower — to wash
  14. date — the fruit
  15. charge — in control
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. charge — electricity
  18. mark — to pay attention
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. fine — all right
  21. root — the cause
  22. roll — a list
  23. mark — a trace
  24. arm — part of the body

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