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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 potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  2. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  3. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  4. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  5. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  6. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  7. What do you think of the new ________________?
  8. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  9. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  10. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  11. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  12. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  13. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  14. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  15. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  16. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  17. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  18. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  19. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  20. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  21. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  22. When are we going to ________________?
  23. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  24. Have you found your soul ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. chip — to eat
  2. straw — to clutch at straws
  3. root — the cause
  4. root — of a word
  5. land — ground
  6. root — of a plant
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. straw — dry grass
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. mate — a friend
  11. cabinet — a cupboard
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. chip — in a computer
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. chip — for betting
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. straw — a straw man
  18. racket — a loud noise
  19. patient — calm and waiting
  20. land — a country
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. land — to come down
  23. mate — to breed
  24. mate — a partner

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