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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 120 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 address the ________________ of the problem.
  2. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  3. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  4. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  5. When are we going to ________________?
  6. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  7. That was ________________ to happen.
  8. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  9. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  10. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  11. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  12. When will it ________________ you to start?
  13. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  14. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  15. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  16. That must've been a ________________.
  17. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  18. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  19. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  20. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  21. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  22. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  23. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  24. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. root — the cause
  2. bound — obliged
  3. root — of a word
  4. chip — for betting
  5. land — to come down
  6. chest — of your body
  7. bound — certain
  8. bound — tied together
  9. rush — hurry
  10. rush — to hurry
  11. root — of a plant
  12. suit — to fit
  13. land — a country
  14. chip — to eat
  15. chip — in a computer
  16. rush — a thrill
  17. suit — clothes
  18. land — ground
  19. field — for sport
  20. field — a subject
  21. chest — a box
  22. suit — in cards
  23. field — farmland
  24. chest — of your body

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