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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: fan · root · row · charge · cabinet · mug · board · pitcher

  1. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  2. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  3. What do you think of the new ________________?
  4. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  5. Where did you ________________ them?
  6. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  7. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  8. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  9. He is an ace ________________.
  10. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  11. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  12. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  13. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  14. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  15. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  16. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  17. The tickets are free of ________________.
  18. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  19. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  20. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  21. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  22. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  23. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  24. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a word
  2. board — to get on
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. mug — to rob
  6. board — a committee
  7. root — the cause
  8. charge — electricity
  9. pitcher — in baseball
  10. mug — a face
  11. board — a flat piece
  12. mug — a cup
  13. fan — to cool the air
  14. row — a quarrel
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. cabinet — a cupboard
  17. charge — a price
  18. row — to paddle
  19. row — a line
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. charge — in control
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. root — of a plant

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