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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: kick · racket · charge · straw · season · mine · root · date

  1. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  2. Have you settled on a ________________?
  3. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  4. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  5. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  6. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  7. Did you ________________ the meat?
  8. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  9. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  10. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  11. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  12. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  13. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  14. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  15. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  16. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  17. The tickets are free of ________________.
  18. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  19. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  20. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  21. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  22. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  23. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  24. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a word
  2. date — on the calendar
  3. straw — to clutch at straws
  4. charge — in control
  5. date — on the calendar
  6. mine — an explosive
  7. season — to add flavour
  8. root — of a plant
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. kick — in football
  11. racket — a loud noise
  12. straw — a straw man
  13. season — in sport
  14. kick — with a leg
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. root — the cause
  17. charge — a price
  18. mine — for digging
  19. date — the fruit
  20. season — of the year
  21. kick — a thrill
  22. straw — dry grass
  23. charge — electricity
  24. mine — belonging to me

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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