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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. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  2. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  3. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  4. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  5. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  6. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  7. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  8. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  9. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  10. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  11. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  12. That was ________________ to happen.
  13. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  14. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  15. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  16. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  17. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  18. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  19. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  20. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  21. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  22. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  23. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  24. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — tied together
  2. root — of a plant
  3. chip — for betting
  4. pitch — a sales talk
  5. pitch — a sports field
  6. snap — to click
  7. chest — of your body
  8. root — the cause
  9. pitch — completely
  10. bound — obliged
  11. chip — in a computer
  12. bound — certain
  13. band — a rubber band
  14. foot — a measure
  15. band — a ring
  16. band — a music group
  17. foot — part of the body
  18. chest — of your body
  19. chest — a box
  20. foot — the bottom
  21. snap — to snap out of it
  22. chip — to eat
  23. snap — to speak sharply
  24. root — of a word

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