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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: race · charge · deal · scale · root · bat · racket · leaves

  1. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  2. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  3. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  4. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  5. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  6. The tickets are free of ________________.
  7. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  8. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  9. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  10. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  11. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  12. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  13. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  14. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  15. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  16. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  17. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  18. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  19. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  20. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  21. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  22. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  23. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  24. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — electricity
  2. deal — to handle
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. race — humankind
  5. racket — a loud noise
  6. charge — a price
  7. root — of a plant
  8. root — the cause
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. leaves — to go away
  11. bat — the animal
  12. race — the arms race
  13. scale — in music
  14. charge — in control
  15. scale — size or range
  16. leaves — lets stay
  17. bat — for baseball
  18. deal — an agreement
  19. scale — for weighing
  20. root — of a word
  21. deal — a big deal
  22. leaves — of a tree
  23. bat — in an idiom
  24. race — a contest

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