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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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  2. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  3. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  4. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  5. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  6. How do you ________________ your surname?
  7. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  8. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  9. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  10. Have you met the new head ________________?
  11. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  12. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  13. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  14. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  15. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  16. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  17. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  18. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — in a computer
  2. chip — for betting
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. pound — a weight
  5. root — of a word
  6. spell — letters
  7. coach — pulled by horses
  8. chip — to eat
  9. shower — to wash
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. shower — rain
  12. spell — magic
  13. pound — for dogs
  14. root — the cause
  15. shower — a meteor shower
  16. pound — to hit hard
  17. spell — a short time
  18. root — of a plant

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