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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 flowers bloom in the ________________.
  2. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  3. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  4. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  5. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  6. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  7. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  8. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  9. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  10. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  11. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  12. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  13. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  14. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  15. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  16. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  17. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  18. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  19. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  20. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  21. That was a fun ________________.
  22. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  23. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  24. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — the season
  2. track — a song
  3. track — to keep track
  4. track — a path
  5. root — of a plant
  6. root — the cause
  7. root — of a word
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. cue — a hint
  10. chip — to eat
  11. cue — for pool
  12. cue — a signal
  13. fan — to cool the air
  14. rock — a stone
  15. rock — to move gently
  16. chip — for betting
  17. spring — of water
  18. rock — music
  19. game — wild animals
  20. spring — a coil
  21. game — a match
  22. chip — in a computer
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. game — a kind of play

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