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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. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  2. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  3. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  4. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  5. When are we going to ________________?
  6. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  7. I'll be taking the ________________.
  8. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  9. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  10. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  11. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  12. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  13. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  14. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  15. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  16. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  17. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  18. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  19. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  20. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  21. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  22. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  23. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  24. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — in a computer
  2. mark — a grade
  3. root — the cause
  4. tube — a container
  5. land — to come down
  6. land — ground
  7. tube — the underground
  8. mine — belonging to me
  9. mine — an explosive
  10. tube — in a tire
  11. branch — of a bank
  12. chip — for betting
  13. root — of a plant
  14. chip — to eat
  15. pitch — a sports field
  16. root — of a word
  17. pitch — a sales talk
  18. mark — to pay attention
  19. mark — a trace
  20. land — a country
  21. pitch — completely
  22. branch — a division
  23. mine — for digging
  24. branch — of a tree

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