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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 ________________ up on opposing sides.
  2. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  3. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  4. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  5. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  6. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  7. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  8. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  9. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  10. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  11. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  12. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  13. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  14. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  15. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  16. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  17. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  18. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  19. The King held a masked ________________.
  20. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  21. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  22. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  23. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  24. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — past of 'wind'
  2. ball — a great time
  3. chip — in a computer
  4. root — the cause
  5. ruler — a monarch
  6. wound — an injury
  7. pound — for dogs
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. pound — a weight
  10. ball — a round shape
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. face — to confront
  13. root — of a plant
  14. row — to paddle
  15. chip — to eat
  16. row — a line
  17. wound — an injury
  18. face — to point toward
  19. ball — a dance
  20. row — a quarrel
  21. face — part of the head
  22. root — of a word
  23. pound — to hit hard
  24. chip — for betting

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