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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. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  2. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  3. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  4. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  5. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  6. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  7. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  8. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  9. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  10. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  11. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  12. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  13. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  14. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  15. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  16. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  17. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  18. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  19. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  20. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  21. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  22. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  23. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  24. There's a computer ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. deal — a big deal
  3. root — of a word
  4. root — the cause
  5. chip — to eat
  6. march — music
  7. march — the month
  8. root — of a plant
  9. firm — a company
  10. cap — a hat
  11. cap — a lid
  12. chip — for betting
  13. cap — of ice
  14. firm — steady
  15. mark — a grade
  16. deal — to handle
  17. pass — a permit
  18. mark — to pay attention
  19. pass — to succeed
  20. firm — decided
  21. deal — an agreement
  22. pass — to spend time
  23. mark — a trace
  24. chip — in a computer

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