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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. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  2. My mare is ________________ in color.
  3. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  4. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  5. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  6. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  7. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  8. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  9. How do you ________________ your surname?
  10. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  11. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  12. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  13. David sat on the ________________.
  14. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  15. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  16. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  17. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  18. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  19. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  20. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  21. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  22. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  23. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  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. chip — to eat
  2. bay — a horse colour
  3. spell — a short time
  4. chip — in a computer
  5. wake — to stop sleeping
  6. root — the cause
  7. root — of a plant
  8. march — the month
  9. spell — letters
  10. march — the month
  11. root — of a word
  12. wake — a trail
  13. swing — to play on
  14. swing — music
  15. bay — a part of the sea
  16. wake — before a funeral
  17. spell — magic
  18. current — happening now
  19. current — of water
  20. swing — in golf
  21. march — music
  22. bay — to keep at bay
  23. current — electric
  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