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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 a dandelion is edible, too.
  2. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  3. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  4. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  5. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  6. She's very handy with a ________________.
  7. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  8. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  9. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  10. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  11. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  12. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  13. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  14. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  15. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  16. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  17. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  18. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  19. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  20. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  21. He works in a ________________ mill.
  22. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  23. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  24. That was ________________ to happen.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a plant
  2. saw — past of 'see'
  3. wound — an injury
  4. bound — obliged
  5. root — of a word
  6. saw — the tool
  7. kick — with a leg
  8. root — the cause
  9. wound — an injury
  10. chip — for betting
  11. kick — in football
  12. dip — a sauce
  13. chip — to eat
  14. capital — a city
  15. dip — to sink
  16. chip — in a computer
  17. bound — tied together
  18. capital — money
  19. wound — past of 'wind'
  20. kick — a thrill
  21. saw — the tool
  22. dip — to dunk
  23. capital — a big letter
  24. bound — certain

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