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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. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  2. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  3. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  4. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  5. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  6. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  7. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  8. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  9. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  10. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  11. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  12. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  13. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  14. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  15. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  16. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  17. When will it ________________ you to start?
  18. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  19. Have you met the new head ________________?
  20. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  21. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  22. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  23. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  24. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — to handle
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. file — a line of people
  4. coach — pulled by horses
  5. chip — in a computer
  6. chip — for betting
  7. file — a tool
  8. fan — to cool the air
  9. prune — the fruit
  10. root — the cause
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. chip — to eat
  13. deal — an agreement
  14. root — of a plant
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. deal — a big deal
  17. suit — to fit
  18. file — a document
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. prune — to trim
  21. suit — in cards
  22. prune — to trim
  23. root — of a word
  24. suit — clothes

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