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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. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  2. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  3. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  4. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  5. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  6. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  7. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  8. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  9. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  10. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  11. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  12. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  13. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  14. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  15. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  16. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  17. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  18. Can you turn the ________________ on?

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a word
  2. root — of a plant
  3. pitch — a sports field
  4. chip — in a computer
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. can — a tin
  7. chip — for betting
  8. pitch — completely
  9. mine — belonging to me
  10. pitch — a sales talk
  11. root — the cause
  12. mine — an explosive
  13. mine — for digging
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. chip — to eat
  16. can — a tin
  17. can — to be able to
  18. fan — to cool the air

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