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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 116 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: march · root · cap · charge · swing · firm · snap · land

  1. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  2. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  3. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  4. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  5. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  6. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  7. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  8. When are we going to ________________?
  9. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  10. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  11. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  12. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  13. David sat on the ________________.
  14. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  15. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  16. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  17. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  18. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  19. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  20. The tickets are free of ________________.
  21. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  22. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  23. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  24. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.

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

Answer key

  1. land — ground
  2. land — a country
  3. march — the month
  4. swing — music
  5. firm — steady
  6. firm — a company
  7. root — of a word
  8. land — to come down
  9. root — of a plant
  10. march — the month
  11. march — music
  12. swing — in golf
  13. swing — to play on
  14. cap — a lid
  15. root — the cause
  16. snap — to speak sharply
  17. cap — of ice
  18. charge — electricity
  19. snap — to click
  20. charge — a price
  21. cap — a hat
  22. firm — decided
  23. snap — to snap out of it
  24. charge — in control

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