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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 120 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
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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: root · chip · wax · plane · court · arm · charge · mouse

  1. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  2. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  3. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  4. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  5. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  6. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  7. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  8. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  9. The ________________ took off on time.
  10. My father caught me by the ________________.
  11. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  12. The ball is in your ________________.
  13. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  14. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  15. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  16. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  17. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  18. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  19. The tickets are free of ________________.
  20. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  21. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  22. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  23. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  24. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. arm — a part of something
  3. chip — to eat
  4. wax — for sculpting
  5. root — of a plant
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. root — of a word
  9. plane — an aircraft
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. charge — electricity
  12. court — for sport
  13. wax — to grow
  14. court — of a king
  15. wax — in the ear
  16. mouse — for a computer
  17. plane — a tool
  18. charge — in control
  19. charge — a price
  20. court — of law
  21. plane — in geometry
  22. chip — in a computer
  23. chip — for betting
  24. root — the cause

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