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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: bat · chair · ground · charge · date · root · ruler · toast

  1. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  2. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  3. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  4. The tickets are free of ________________.
  5. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  6. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  7. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  8. There's no middle ________________.
  9. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  10. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  11. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  12. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  13. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  14. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  15. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  16. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  17. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  18. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  19. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  20. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  21. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  22. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  23. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  24. Have you settled on a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. ruler — a monarch
  3. chair — to sit on
  4. charge — a price
  5. toast — bread
  6. ground — crushed
  7. root — the cause
  8. ground — a position
  9. charge — in control
  10. root — of a word
  11. charge — electricity
  12. date — on the calendar
  13. bat — for baseball
  14. date — the fruit
  15. bat — the animal
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. root — of a plant
  18. ground — the earth
  19. toast — the most admired
  20. chair — a professorship
  21. bat — in an idiom
  22. toast — a drink to someone
  23. chair — a leader
  24. date — on the calendar

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