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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. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  2. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  3. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  4. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  5. When are we going to ________________?
  6. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  7. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  8. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  9. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  10. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  11. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  12. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  13. That was a fun ________________.
  14. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  15. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  16. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  17. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  18. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  19. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  20. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  21. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  22. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  23. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  24. Did you ________________ the meat?

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

Answer key

  1. chip — for betting
  2. chip — in a computer
  3. game — a kind of play
  4. bark — to shout
  5. land — to come down
  6. season — of the year
  7. root — of a plant
  8. chip — to eat
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. land — a country
  11. fall — to drop
  12. season — in sport
  13. game — a match
  14. fall — the season
  15. lie — to recline
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. bark — of a tree
  18. root — the cause
  19. land — ground
  20. game — wild animals
  21. root — of a word
  22. bark — a dog's sound
  23. fall — to drop
  24. season — to add flavour

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