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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. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  2. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  3. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  4. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  5. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  6. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  7. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  8. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  9. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  10. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  11. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  12. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  13. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  14. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  15. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  16. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  17. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  18. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  19. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  20. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  21. Have you found your soul ________________?
  22. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  23. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  24. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — a leader
  2. pitch — a sales talk
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. branch — of a tree
  5. root — of a word
  6. calf — of the leg
  7. chip — in a computer
  8. root — the cause
  9. mate — to breed
  10. deal — an agreement
  11. branch — of a bank
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. chip — to eat
  14. chip — for betting
  15. pitch — completely
  16. chair — to sit on
  17. chair — a professorship
  18. deal — to handle
  19. pitch — a sports field
  20. branch — a division
  21. mate — a partner
  22. mate — a friend
  23. deal — a big deal
  24. root — of a plant

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