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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. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  2. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  3. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  4. Have you met the new head ________________?
  5. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  6. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  7. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  8. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  9. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  10. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  11. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  12. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  13. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  14. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  15. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  16. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  17. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  18. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.

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

Answer key

  1. net — for catching
  2. mine — belonging to me
  3. root — the cause
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. chip — to eat
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. chip — in a computer
  8. chip — for betting
  9. root — of a plant
  10. net — in sport
  11. lean — thin
  12. mine — for digging
  13. lean — to rest against
  14. coach — pulled by horses
  15. mine — an explosive
  16. net — after costs
  17. lean — to bend
  18. root — of a word

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