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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: stand · jam · last · root · charge · roll · kid · land

  1. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  2. I can't ________________ this cold.
  3. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  4. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  5. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  6. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  7. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  8. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  9. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  10. The tickets are free of ________________.
  11. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  12. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  13. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  14. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  15. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  16. We're on a ________________ here.
  17. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  18. When are we going to ________________?
  19. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  20. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  21. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  22. False peace will not ________________.
  23. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  24. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. last — finally
  2. stand — to bear
  3. jam — in traffic
  4. last — final
  5. roll — a cake
  6. kid — child
  7. stand — on your feet
  8. root — the cause
  9. charge — electricity
  10. charge — a price
  11. root — of a word
  12. kid — to tease
  13. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  14. land — a country
  15. jam — a tight spot
  16. roll — on a roll
  17. jam — to spread on bread
  18. land — to come down
  19. roll — a list
  20. land — ground
  21. root — of a plant
  22. last — to go on
  23. charge — in control
  24. stand — for spectators

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