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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. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  2. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  3. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  4. What do you think of the new ________________?
  5. That was a fun ________________.
  6. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  7. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  8. It's one o'clock ________________.
  9. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  10. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  11. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  12. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  13. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  14. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  15. The water is too ________________.
  16. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  17. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  18. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  19. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  20. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  21. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  22. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  23. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  24. I assure you, everything's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — to eat
  2. chip — in a computer
  3. root — of a plant
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. game — a match
  6. chip — for betting
  7. fine — high quality
  8. sharp — exactly
  9. root — of a word
  10. game — wild animals
  11. sharp — with an edge
  12. game — a kind of play
  13. sharp — clever
  14. cabinet — a cupboard
  15. cold — not warm
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. cold — the Cold War
  18. fine — a penalty
  19. root — the cause
  20. bear — the animal
  21. bear — the animal
  22. bear — to put up with
  23. cold — an illness
  24. fine — all right

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