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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: track · charge · mouse · root · chest · ground · bore · land

  1. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  2. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  3. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  4. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  5. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  6. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  7. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  8. The tickets are free of ________________.
  9. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  10. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  11. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  12. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  13. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  14. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  15. When are we going to ________________?
  16. There's no middle ________________.
  17. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  18. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  19. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  20. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  21. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  22. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  23. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  24. Where can I ________________ my mobile?

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

Answer key

  1. charge — in control
  2. track — a song
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. mouse — for a computer
  6. bore — gave birth
  7. root — of a word
  8. charge — a price
  9. bore — to tire
  10. land — ground
  11. root — the cause
  12. root — of a plant
  13. land — a country
  14. track — to keep track
  15. land — to come down
  16. ground — a position
  17. ground — the earth
  18. chest — a box
  19. chest — of your body
  20. track — a path
  21. bore — to drill
  22. chest — of your body
  23. ground — crushed
  24. charge — electricity

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