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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. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  2. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  3. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  4. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  5. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  6. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  7. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  8. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  9. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  10. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  11. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  12. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  13. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  14. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  15. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  16. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  17. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  18. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  19. The water is too ________________.
  20. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  21. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  22. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  23. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  24. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a word
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. chip — in a computer
  4. board — a flat piece
  5. fan — to cool the air
  6. ruler — a monarch
  7. hand — in cards
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. chip — to eat
  10. root — of a plant
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. chip — for betting
  13. cold — the Cold War
  14. root — the cause
  15. hand — part of the body
  16. mouse — for a computer
  17. board — to get on
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. cold — not warm
  20. cold — an illness
  21. board — a committee
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. hand — help
  24. ruler — for measuring

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