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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. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  2. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  3. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  4. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  5. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  6. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  7. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  8. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  9. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  10. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  11. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  12. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  13. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  14. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  15. He is an ace ________________.
  16. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  17. The ________________ took off on time.
  18. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  19. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  20. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  21. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  22. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  23. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  24. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for dancing
  2. chip — in a computer
  3. root — of a plant
  4. root — of a word
  5. plane — in geometry
  6. chip — for betting
  7. wound — an injury
  8. chip — to eat
  9. jam — in traffic
  10. plane — a tool
  11. root — the cause
  12. kick — a thrill
  13. wound — an injury
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. pitcher — in baseball
  16. club — a group
  17. plane — an aircraft
  18. wound — past of 'wind'
  19. club — for golf
  20. kick — with a leg
  21. kick — in football
  22. jam — a tight spot
  23. jam — to spread on bread
  24. pitcher — a jug

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