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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. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  3. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  4. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  5. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  6. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  7. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  8. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  9. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  10. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  11. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  12. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  13. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  14. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  15. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  16. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  17. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  18. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  19. When are we going to ________________?
  20. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  21. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  22. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  23. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  24. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — for betting
  2. dip — to sink
  3. club — for golf
  4. club — for dancing
  5. staff — a stick
  6. land — a country
  7. root — of a plant
  8. wax — to grow
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. land — ground
  12. staff — employees
  13. dip — a sauce
  14. root — of a word
  15. fan — to cool the air
  16. chip — in a computer
  17. wax — for sculpting
  18. dip — to dunk
  19. land — to come down
  20. staff — employees
  21. root — the cause
  22. wax — in the ear
  23. club — a group
  24. chip — to eat

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