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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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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: kid · charge · root · band · net · bear · pit · hide

  1. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  2. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  3. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  4. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  5. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  6. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  7. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  8. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  9. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  10. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  11. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  12. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  13. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  14. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  15. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  16. The tickets are free of ________________.
  17. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  18. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  19. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  20. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  21. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  22. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  23. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  24. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. kid — to tease
  3. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  4. charge — in control
  5. pit — a hole
  6. root — of a plant
  7. net — for catching
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. root — the cause
  10. net — in sport
  11. band — a ring
  12. hide — animal skin
  13. root — of a word
  14. band — a rubber band
  15. net — after costs
  16. charge — a price
  17. bear — to put up with
  18. pit — a fruit stone
  19. bear — the animal
  20. charge — electricity
  21. pit — in a race
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. band — a music group
  24. kid — child

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