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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: pitch · root · current · season · land · wax · bore · charge

  1. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  2. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  3. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  4. The tickets are free of ________________.
  5. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  6. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  7. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  8. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  9. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  10. When are we going to ________________?
  11. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  12. Did you ________________ the meat?
  13. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  14. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  15. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  16. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  17. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  18. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  19. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  20. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  21. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  22. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  23. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  24. Spring is a pleasant ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. land — ground
  2. pitch — completely
  3. bore — to tire
  4. charge — a price
  5. pitch — a sports field
  6. root — of a plant
  7. land — a country
  8. root — of a word
  9. current — happening now
  10. land — to come down
  11. current — of water
  12. season — to add flavour
  13. charge — electricity
  14. root — the cause
  15. wax — to grow
  16. wax — in the ear
  17. current — electric
  18. bore — gave birth
  19. charge — in control
  20. season — in sport
  21. wax — for sculpting
  22. pitch — a sales talk
  23. bore — to drill
  24. season — of the year

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