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

  1. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  2. There's no middle ________________.
  3. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  4. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  5. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  6. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  7. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  8. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  9. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  10. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  11. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  12. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  13. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  14. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  15. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  16. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  17. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  18. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.

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

Answer key

  1. root — the cause
  2. ground — a position
  3. chip — to eat
  4. rock — to move gently
  5. chip — in a computer
  6. chip — for betting
  7. fan — to cool the air
  8. kid — to tease
  9. rock — a stone
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. ground — the earth
  13. kid — child
  14. ground — crushed
  15. root — of a plant
  16. root — of a word
  17. rock — music
  18. kid — young goat (kid gloves)

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