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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. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  2. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  3. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  4. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  5. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  6. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  7. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  8. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  9. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  10. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  11. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  12. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  13. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  14. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  15. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  16. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  17. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  18. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  19. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  20. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  21. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  22. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  23. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  24. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a lid
  2. race — a contest
  3. fan — to cool the air
  4. hand — in cards
  5. root — of a plant
  6. chip — to eat
  7. mark — a trace
  8. chip — for betting
  9. net — for catching
  10. root — the cause
  11. net — after costs
  12. hand — help
  13. mark — to pay attention
  14. net — in sport
  15. hand — part of the body
  16. race — the arms race
  17. chip — in a computer
  18. cap — of ice
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. root — of a word
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. race — humankind
  23. mark — a grade
  24. cap — a hat

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