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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: root · pitch · ground · charge · saw · pop · present · kick

  1. The tickets are free of ________________.
  2. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  3. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  4. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  5. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  6. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  7. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  8. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  9. There's no middle ________________.
  10. She's very handy with a ________________.
  11. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  12. We're almost out of ________________.
  13. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  14. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  15. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  16. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  17. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  18. He works in a ________________ mill.
  19. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  20. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  21. You don't need to ________________ round.
  22. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  23. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  24. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — a price
  2. pitch — a sports field
  3. root — of a plant
  4. charge — electricity
  5. ground — crushed
  6. present — the time now
  7. pitch — a sales talk
  8. pitch — completely
  9. ground — a position
  10. saw — the tool
  11. kick — in football
  12. pop — soda
  13. kick — a thrill
  14. present — there
  15. root — of a word
  16. root — the cause
  17. saw — past of 'see'
  18. saw — the tool
  19. present — a gift
  20. ground — the earth
  21. pop — to visit
  22. charge — in control
  23. kick — with a leg
  24. pop — music

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