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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. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  2. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  3. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  4. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  5. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  6. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  7. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  8. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  9. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  10. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  11. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  12. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  13. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  14. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  15. Don't do anything ________________.
  16. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  17. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  18. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  19. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  20. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  21. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  22. Have you found your soul ________________?
  23. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  24. There's a computer ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — for betting
  2. stem — of a plant
  3. current — of water
  4. mate — to breed
  5. stem — to come from
  6. chip — to eat
  7. root — of a word
  8. dip — a sauce
  9. rash — a series
  10. mate — a friend
  11. current — happening now
  12. rash — on the skin
  13. hand — help
  14. dip — to sink
  15. rash — hasty
  16. hand — part of the body
  17. root — of a plant
  18. stem — a stem cell
  19. hand — in cards
  20. current — electric
  21. dip — to dunk
  22. mate — a partner
  23. root — the cause
  24. chip — in a computer

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