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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: racket · prune · season · key · bound · root · charge · mate

  1. Did you ________________ the meat?
  2. Have you found your soul ________________?
  3. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  4. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  5. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  6. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  7. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  8. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  9. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  10. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  11. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  12. This piece is in a major ________________.
  13. That was ________________ to happen.
  14. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  15. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  16. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  17. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  18. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  19. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  20. The tickets are free of ________________.
  21. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  22. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  23. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  24. Hard work is the ________________ to success.

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

Answer key

  1. season — to add flavour
  2. mate — a partner
  3. season — in sport
  4. prune — to trim
  5. charge — electricity
  6. mate — a friend
  7. root — of a plant
  8. key — for a lock
  9. root — of a word
  10. root — the cause
  11. racket — a loud noise
  12. key — in music
  13. bound — certain
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. prune — the fruit
  16. mate — to breed
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. bound — obliged
  19. bound — tied together
  20. charge — a price
  21. charge — in control
  22. prune — to trim
  23. season — of the year
  24. key — the most important part

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