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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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Word bank
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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. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  4. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  5. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  6. There's no middle ________________.
  7. My mare is ________________ in color.
  8. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  9. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  10. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  11. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  12. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  13. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  14. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  15. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  16. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  17. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  18. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  19. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  20. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  21. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  22. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  23. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  24. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.

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. bowl — a dish
  4. chip — to eat
  5. fall — to drop
  6. ground — a position
  7. bay — a horse colour
  8. root — of a plant
  9. root — the cause
  10. face — part of the head
  11. bay — a part of the sea
  12. file — a document
  13. file — a line of people
  14. bay — to keep at bay
  15. face — to confront
  16. ground — the earth
  17. ground — crushed
  18. face — to point toward
  19. bowl — a football final
  20. file — a tool
  21. fall — to drop
  22. fall — the season
  23. bowl — to roll
  24. root — of a word

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