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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. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  2. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  3. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  4. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  5. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  6. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  7. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  8. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  9. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  10. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  11. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  12. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  13. When are we going to ________________?
  14. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  15. You don't need to ________________ round.
  16. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  17. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  18. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  19. We're almost out of ________________.
  20. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  21. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  22. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  23. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  24. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — with your hand
  2. land — ground
  3. deal — a big deal
  4. wave — of the sea
  5. wind — to turn a key
  6. root — of a word
  7. pop — music
  8. wave — a sudden rise
  9. deal — to handle
  10. chip — in a computer
  11. deal — an agreement
  12. land — a country
  13. land — to come down
  14. chip — for betting
  15. pop — to visit
  16. wind — moving air
  17. wind — moving air
  18. bear — the animal
  19. pop — soda
  20. root — of a plant
  21. bear — to put up with
  22. chip — to eat
  23. root — the cause
  24. bear — the animal

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