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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 120 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. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  2. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  3. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  4. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  5. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  6. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  7. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  8. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  9. That was a fun ________________.
  10. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  11. She's very handy with a ________________.
  12. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  13. Don't do anything ________________.
  14. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  15. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  16. He works in a ________________ mill.
  17. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  18. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  19. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  20. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  21. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  22. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  23. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  24. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — on the skin
  2. chip — for betting
  3. degree — temperature
  4. saw — past of 'see'
  5. foot — a measure
  6. degree — an amount
  7. root — the cause
  8. degree — from a university
  9. game — a match
  10. chip — in a computer
  11. saw — the tool
  12. foot — the bottom
  13. rash — hasty
  14. lash — to lash out
  15. root — of a word
  16. saw — the tool
  17. lash — a whip stroke
  18. game — wild animals
  19. root — of a plant
  20. rash — a series
  21. lash — an eyelash
  22. foot — part of the body
  23. chip — to eat
  24. game — a kind of play

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