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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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Word bank
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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. You don't need to ________________ round.
  2. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  3. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  4. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  5. That must've been a ________________.
  6. How do you ________________ your surname?
  7. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  8. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  9. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  10. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  11. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  12. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  13. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  14. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  15. We're almost out of ________________.
  16. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  17. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  18. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  19. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  20. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  21. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  22. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  23. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  24. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — to visit
  2. chip — in a computer
  3. rush — to hurry
  4. root — of a plant
  5. rush — a thrill
  6. spell — letters
  7. pop — music
  8. rush — hurry
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. root — of a word
  11. spell — a short time
  12. bass — the instrument
  13. root — the cause
  14. racket — a loud noise
  15. pop — soda
  16. bass — the fish
  17. bat — for baseball
  18. bat — the animal
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. bass — low music
  21. chip — to eat
  22. bat — in an idiom
  23. spell — magic
  24. chip — for betting

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