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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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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. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  2. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  3. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  4. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  5. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  6. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  7. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  8. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  9. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  10. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  11. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  12. I'll be taking the ________________.
  13. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  14. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  15. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  16. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  17. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  18. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a football final
  2. chip — in a computer
  3. bowl — to roll
  4. kick — a thrill
  5. chip — for betting
  6. lash — to lash out
  7. root — of a plant
  8. lash — a whip stroke
  9. chip — to eat
  10. root — of a word
  11. root — the cause
  12. tube — the underground
  13. tube — in a tire
  14. bowl — a dish
  15. kick — with a leg
  16. tube — a container
  17. lash — an eyelash
  18. kick — in football

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