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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. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  2. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  3. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  4. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  5. The ball is in your ________________.
  6. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  7. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  8. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  9. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  10. This piece is in a major ________________.
  11. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  12. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  13. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  14. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  15. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  16. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  17. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  18. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  19. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  20. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  21. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  22. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  23. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  24. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to sink
  2. chip — for betting
  3. club — for golf
  4. root — of a plant
  5. court — for sport
  6. dip — a sauce
  7. cue — a signal
  8. wind — to turn a key
  9. root — of a word
  10. key — in music
  11. wind — moving air
  12. cue — a hint
  13. key — for a lock
  14. club — for dancing
  15. wind — moving air
  16. chip — in a computer
  17. chip — to eat
  18. root — the cause
  19. key — the most important part
  20. club — a group
  21. court — of a king
  22. cue — for pool
  23. dip — to dunk
  24. court — of law

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