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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 ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  2. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  3. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  4. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  5. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  6. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  7. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  8. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  9. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  10. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  11. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  12. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  13. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  14. When are we going to ________________?
  15. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  16. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  17. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  18. I can't ________________ this cold.
  19. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  20. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  21. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  22. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  23. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  24. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a word
  2. chip — in a computer
  3. fork — in a road
  4. clip — a video
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. root — of a plant
  7. fork — a garden tool
  8. land — ground
  9. clip — for paper
  10. chip — to eat
  11. lash — an eyelash
  12. fork — to eat with
  13. stand — on your feet
  14. land — to come down
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. chip — for betting
  17. lash — to lash out
  18. stand — to bear
  19. root — the cause
  20. racket — a loud noise
  21. clip — to cut
  22. lash — a whip stroke
  23. stand — for spectators
  24. land — a country

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