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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. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  2. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  3. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  4. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  5. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  6. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  7. That was a fun ________________.
  8. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  9. The ________________ market has crashed.
  10. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  11. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  12. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  13. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  14. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  15. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  16. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  17. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  18. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  19. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  20. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  21. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  22. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  23. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  24. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.

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

Answer key

  1. root — the cause
  2. chip — in a computer
  3. wake — a trail
  4. game — a kind of play
  5. stock — goods
  6. root — of a word
  7. game — a match
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. stock — shares
  10. kick — in football
  11. kick — a thrill
  12. hide — animal skin
  13. game — wild animals
  14. root — of a plant
  15. wake — to stop sleeping
  16. spring — the season
  17. kick — with a leg
  18. stock — a soup base
  19. spring — of water
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. chip — for betting
  22. wake — before a funeral
  23. spring — a coil
  24. chip — to eat

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