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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 124 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 ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  2. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  3. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  4. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  5. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  6. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  7. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  8. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  9. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  10. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  11. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  12. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  13. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  14. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  15. Did you ________________ the meat?
  16. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  17. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  18. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  19. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  20. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  21. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  22. The ________________ took off on time.
  23. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  24. I have a corn on my right ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a word
  2. dip — a sauce
  3. dip — to dunk
  4. dip — to sink
  5. foot — the bottom
  6. chip — in a computer
  7. season — of the year
  8. track — a song
  9. chip — for betting
  10. chip — to eat
  11. plane — in geometry
  12. straw — dry grass
  13. root — of a plant
  14. foot — a measure
  15. season — to add flavour
  16. plane — a tool
  17. season — in sport
  18. root — the cause
  19. track — a path
  20. straw — a straw man
  21. track — to keep track
  22. plane — an aircraft
  23. straw — to clutch at straws
  24. foot — part of the body

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