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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. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  2. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  3. You don't need to ________________ round.
  4. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  5. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  6. It's one o'clock ________________.
  7. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  8. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  9. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  10. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  11. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  12. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  13. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  14. We're almost out of ________________.
  15. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  16. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  17. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  18. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  19. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  20. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  21. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  22. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  23. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  24. He's quite ________________, isn't he?

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

Answer key

  1. chip — for betting
  2. root — the cause
  3. pop — to visit
  4. lean — to rest against
  5. root — of a plant
  6. sharp — exactly
  7. squash — the sport
  8. squash — to crush
  9. ruler — a monarch
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. chip — to eat
  12. field — for sport
  13. field — a subject
  14. pop — soda
  15. pop — music
  16. sharp — with an edge
  17. squash — the vegetable
  18. field — farmland
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. lean — to bend
  21. chip — in a computer
  22. lean — thin
  23. root — of a word
  24. sharp — clever

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