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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: charge · present · wound · last · pitch · mouse · root · net

  1. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  2. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  3. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  4. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  5. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  6. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  7. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  8. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  9. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  10. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  11. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  12. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  13. False peace will not ________________.
  14. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  15. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  16. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  17. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  18. The tickets are free of ________________.
  19. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  20. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  21. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  22. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  23. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  24. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. net — after costs
  2. root — of a word
  3. net — in sport
  4. pitch — a sales talk
  5. present — there
  6. present — a gift
  7. pitch — completely
  8. root — of a plant
  9. last — final
  10. wound — an injury
  11. charge — electricity
  12. wound — an injury
  13. last — to go on
  14. pitch — a sports field
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. net — for catching
  17. present — the time now
  18. charge — a price
  19. charge — in control
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. wound — past of 'wind'
  22. last — finally
  23. mouse — for a computer
  24. root — the cause

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