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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. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  2. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  3. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  4. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  5. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  6. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  7. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  8. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  9. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  10. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  11. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  12. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  13. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  14. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  15. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  16. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  17. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  18. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  19. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  20. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  21. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  22. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  23. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  24. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — with a leg
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. kick — a thrill
  4. root — the cause
  5. chip — for betting
  6. root — of a plant
  7. chip — in a computer
  8. capital — a city
  9. trunk — of a car
  10. kick — in football
  11. capital — money
  12. capital — a big letter
  13. trunk — of a tree
  14. staff — employees
  15. chip — to eat
  16. deal — a big deal
  17. patient — calm and waiting
  18. root — of a word
  19. deal — to handle
  20. staff — employees
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. staff — a stick
  23. trunk — of an elephant
  24. deal — an agreement

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