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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. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  2. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  3. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  4. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  5. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  6. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  7. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  8. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  9. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  10. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  11. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  12. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  13. When will it ________________ you to start?
  14. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  15. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  16. That must've been a ________________.
  17. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  18. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  19. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  20. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  21. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  22. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  23. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  24. When are we going to ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. chip — for betting
  2. spring — of water
  3. root — of a word
  4. land — a country
  5. suit — clothes
  6. pitch — a sales talk
  7. root — the cause
  8. rush — to hurry
  9. spring — a coil
  10. chip — to eat
  11. chip — in a computer
  12. rush — hurry
  13. suit — to fit
  14. root — of a plant
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. rush — a thrill
  17. pitch — completely
  18. land — ground
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. racket — a loud noise
  21. suit — in cards
  22. spring — the season
  23. pitch — a sports field
  24. land — to come down

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