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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. She's very handy with a ________________.
  2. What do you think of the new ________________?
  3. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  4. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  5. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  6. He works in a ________________ mill.
  7. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  8. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  9. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  10. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  11. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  12. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  13. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  14. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  15. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  16. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  17. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  18. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  19. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  20. False peace will not ________________.
  21. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  22. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  23. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  24. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. root — the cause
  4. saw — past of 'see'
  5. root — of a plant
  6. saw — the tool
  7. last — final
  8. cabinet — a cupboard
  9. pit — a hole
  10. hand — help
  11. chip — to eat
  12. track — to keep track
  13. hand — in cards
  14. track — a song
  15. chip — for betting
  16. root — of a word
  17. chip — in a computer
  18. pit — in a race
  19. track — a path
  20. last — to go on
  21. hand — part of the body
  22. last — finally
  23. pit — a fruit stone
  24. cabinet — ministers

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