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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. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  2. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  3. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  4. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  5. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  6. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  7. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  8. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  9. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  10. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  11. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  12. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  13. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  14. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  15. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  16. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  17. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  18. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  19. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  20. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  21. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  22. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  23. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  24. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. branch — a division
  3. chip — in a computer
  4. root — the cause
  5. kick — a thrill
  6. kick — with a leg
  7. chip — for betting
  8. row — a line
  9. kick — in football
  10. bear — the animal
  11. branch — of a tree
  12. branch — of a bank
  13. racket — a loud noise
  14. root — of a plant
  15. row — a quarrel
  16. lean — to bend
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. bear — to put up with
  19. bear — the animal
  20. root — of a word
  21. row — to paddle
  22. lean — thin
  23. lean — to rest against
  24. chip — to eat

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