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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. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  2. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  3. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  4. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  5. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  6. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  7. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  8. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  9. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  10. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  11. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  12. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  13. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  14. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  15. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  16. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  17. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  18. False peace will not ________________.
  19. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  20. That was a fun ________________.
  21. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  22. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  23. This piece is in a major ________________.
  24. Boris sat near the fire ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — in a computer
  2. rock — music
  3. key — for a lock
  4. root — of a word
  5. key — the most important part
  6. root — of a plant
  7. dip — to sink
  8. root — the cause
  9. game — wild animals
  10. dip — a sauce
  11. last — finally
  12. last — final
  13. game — a kind of play
  14. pit — in a race
  15. chip — to eat
  16. dip — to dunk
  17. pit — a fruit stone
  18. last — to go on
  19. rock — to move gently
  20. game — a match
  21. rock — a stone
  22. chip — for betting
  23. key — in music
  24. pit — a hole

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