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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. Don't do anything ________________.
  2. When are we going to ________________?
  3. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  4. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  5. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  6. When will it ________________ you to start?
  7. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  8. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  9. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  10. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  11. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  12. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  13. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  14. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  15. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  16. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  17. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  18. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  19. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  20. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  21. That was ________________ to happen.
  22. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  23. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  24. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — hasty
  2. land — to come down
  3. root — the cause
  4. chip — for betting
  5. scale — in music
  6. suit — to fit
  7. root — of a word
  8. bound — tied together
  9. chip — in a computer
  10. wind — moving air
  11. chip — to eat
  12. rash — on the skin
  13. rash — a series
  14. scale — size or range
  15. suit — in cards
  16. land — a country
  17. wind — to turn a key
  18. suit — clothes
  19. wind — moving air
  20. land — ground
  21. bound — certain
  22. bound — obliged
  23. root — of a plant
  24. scale — for weighing

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