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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. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  2. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  3. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  4. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  5. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  6. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  7. It's one o'clock ________________.
  8. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  9. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  10. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  11. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  12. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  13. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  14. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  15. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  16. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  17. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  18. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  19. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  20. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  21. Don't do anything ________________.
  22. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  23. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  24. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a fruit stone
  2. root — of a plant
  3. pit — in a race
  4. chip — for betting
  5. field — farmland
  6. chip — to eat
  7. sharp — exactly
  8. root — the cause
  9. chip — in a computer
  10. board — a committee
  11. board — a flat piece
  12. wake — before a funeral
  13. board — to get on
  14. field — a subject
  15. pit — a hole
  16. wake — to stop sleeping
  17. rash — on the skin
  18. sharp — with an edge
  19. sharp — clever
  20. field — for sport
  21. rash — hasty
  22. wake — a trail
  23. rash — a series
  24. root — of a word

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