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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. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  2. There's no middle ________________.
  3. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  4. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  5. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  6. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  7. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  8. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  9. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  10. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  11. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  12. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  13. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  14. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  15. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  16. We're on a ________________ here.
  17. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  18. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  19. How do you ________________ your surname?
  20. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  21. That was ________________ to happen.
  22. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  23. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  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. roll — a list
  2. ground — a position
  3. ground — the earth
  4. chip — for betting
  5. spell — magic
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. root — of a word
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. roll — a cake
  10. bound — tied together
  11. calf — of the leg
  12. chip — in a computer
  13. ground — crushed
  14. mouse — for a computer
  15. spell — a short time
  16. roll — on a roll
  17. root — of a plant
  18. root — the cause
  19. spell — letters
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. bound — certain
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. bound — obliged
  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