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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. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  2. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  3. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  4. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  5. He is an ace ________________.
  6. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  7. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  8. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  9. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  10. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  11. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  12. It's one o'clock ________________.
  13. Have you settled on a ________________?
  14. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  15. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  16. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  17. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  18. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  19. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  20. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  21. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  22. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  23. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  24. The spa offers ________________ extensions.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. chip — to eat
  3. toast — a drink to someone
  4. track — to keep track
  5. pitcher — in baseball
  6. sharp — with an edge
  7. track — a path
  8. toast — bread
  9. lash — a whip stroke
  10. lash — to lash out
  11. chip — for betting
  12. sharp — exactly
  13. date — on the calendar
  14. sharp — clever
  15. toast — the most admired
  16. date — on the calendar
  17. date — the fruit
  18. chip — in a computer
  19. root — of a word
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. root — of a plant
  22. root — the cause
  23. track — a song
  24. lash — an eyelash

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