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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. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  2. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  3. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  4. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  5. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  6. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  7. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  8. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  9. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  10. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  11. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  12. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  13. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  14. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  15. We're almost out of ________________.
  16. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  17. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  18. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  19. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  20. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  21. Have you met the new head ________________?
  22. You don't need to ________________ round.
  23. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  24. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — for betting
  2. track — a song
  3. craft — a handicraft
  4. chip — to eat
  5. coach — pulled by horses
  6. fine — a penalty
  7. mine — belonging to me
  8. pop — music
  9. mine — for digging
  10. root — of a word
  11. craft — a skill
  12. mine — an explosive
  13. root — of a plant
  14. track — to keep track
  15. pop — soda
  16. root — the cause
  17. chip — in a computer
  18. fine — all right
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. track — a path
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. pop — to visit
  23. craft — boats
  24. fine — high quality

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