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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: spring · chair · charge · ball · prune · chip · date · root

  1. Have you settled on a ________________?
  2. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  3. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  4. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  5. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  6. The tickets are free of ________________.
  7. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  8. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  9. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  10. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  11. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  12. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  13. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  14. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  15. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  16. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  17. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  18. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  19. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  20. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  21. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  22. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  23. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  24. The King held a masked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. date — on the calendar
  2. spring — the season
  3. charge — in control
  4. charge — electricity
  5. date — on the calendar
  6. charge — a price
  7. prune — the fruit
  8. spring — of water
  9. chip — in a computer
  10. ball — a round shape
  11. spring — a coil
  12. root — of a plant
  13. chair — a professorship
  14. chip — to eat
  15. chair — to sit on
  16. chip — for betting
  17. date — the fruit
  18. ball — a great time
  19. prune — to trim
  20. chair — a leader
  21. root — the cause
  22. prune — to trim
  23. root — of a word
  24. ball — a dance

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