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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. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  2. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  3. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  4. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  5. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  6. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  7. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  8. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  9. There's no middle ________________.
  10. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  11. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  12. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  13. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  14. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  15. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  16. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  17. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  18. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  19. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  20. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  21. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  22. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  23. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  24. I'd like to play a game of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — to cool the air
  2. ground — the earth
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. chip — in a computer
  5. safe — a strongbox
  6. present — the time now
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. wind — to turn a key
  9. ground — a position
  10. wind — moving air
  11. present — a gift
  12. squash — the vegetable
  13. present — there
  14. root — the cause
  15. root — of a plant
  16. wind — moving air
  17. root — of a word
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. chip — to eat
  20. ground — crushed
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. chip — for betting
  23. squash — to crush
  24. squash — the sport

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