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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 120 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: squash · charge · root · pass · field · bank · tear · drill

  1. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  2. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  3. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  4. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  5. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  6. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  7. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  8. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  9. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  10. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  11. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  12. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  13. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  14. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  15. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  16. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  17. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  18. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  19. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  20. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  21. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  22. The tickets are free of ________________.
  23. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  24. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a plant
  2. root — of a word
  3. pass — to succeed
  4. squash — the sport
  5. field — for sport
  6. drill — a practice
  7. bank — of a river
  8. pass — a permit
  9. drill — army training
  10. charge — electricity
  11. drill — the tool
  12. tear — from crying
  13. field — farmland
  14. squash — to crush
  15. pass — to spend time
  16. squash — the vegetable
  17. tear — from crying
  18. bank — for money
  19. root — the cause
  20. tear — to rip
  21. bank — for money
  22. charge — a price
  23. field — a subject
  24. charge — in control

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