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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. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  3. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  4. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  5. The ________________ took off on time.
  6. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  7. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  8. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  9. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  10. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  11. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  12. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  13. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  14. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  15. He is an ace ________________.
  16. When are we going to ________________?
  17. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  18. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  19. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  20. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  21. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  22. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  23. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  24. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. plane — in geometry
  3. chip — to eat
  4. root — the cause
  5. plane — an aircraft
  6. chip — in a computer
  7. chip — for betting
  8. pass — to spend time
  9. shower — rain
  10. root — of a word
  11. land — ground
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. pass — a permit
  14. land — a country
  15. pitcher — in baseball
  16. land — to come down
  17. plane — a tool
  18. chest — of your body
  19. chest — a box
  20. shower — a meteor shower
  21. shower — to wash
  22. pass — to succeed
  23. root — of a plant
  24. chest — of your body

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