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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. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  2. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  3. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  4. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  5. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  6. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  7. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  8. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  9. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  10. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  11. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  12. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  13. Have you met the new head ________________?
  14. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  15. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  16. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  17. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  18. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  19. There's no middle ________________.
  20. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  21. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  22. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  23. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  24. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — to eat
  2. stem — to come from
  3. file — a document
  4. stem — a stem cell
  5. rock — music
  6. root — of a plant
  7. rock — a stone
  8. root — the cause
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. coach — pulled by horses
  11. chip — for betting
  12. file — a line of people
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. ground — the earth
  15. chip — in a computer
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. root — of a word
  18. rock — to move gently
  19. ground — a position
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. stem — of a plant
  22. hide — animal skin
  23. ground — crushed
  24. file — a tool

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