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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 116 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: charge · root · saw · craft · kid · game · stick · cabinet

  1. That was a fun ________________.
  2. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  3. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  4. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  5. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  6. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  7. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  8. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  9. She's very handy with a ________________.
  10. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  11. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  12. What do you think of the new ________________?
  13. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  14. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  15. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  16. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  17. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  18. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  19. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  20. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  21. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  22. He works in a ________________ mill.
  23. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  24. The tickets are free of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a match
  2. root — of a word
  3. kid — to tease
  4. game — a kind of play
  5. craft — a skill
  6. charge — electricity
  7. root — of a plant
  8. stick — to attach or keep to
  9. saw — the tool
  10. root — the cause
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. craft — boats
  14. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  15. charge — in control
  16. cabinet — a cupboard
  17. kid — child
  18. saw — past of 'see'
  19. craft — a handicraft
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. saw — the tool
  23. game — wild animals
  24. charge — a price

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