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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. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  2. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  3. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  4. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  5. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  6. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  7. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  8. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  9. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  10. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  11. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  12. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  13. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  14. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  15. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  16. Where did you ________________ them?
  17. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  18. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  19. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  20. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  21. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  22. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  23. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  24. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — in a computer
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. bank — for money
  4. bank — for money
  5. bank — of a river
  6. mug — a cup
  7. root — of a plant
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. lie — to recline
  10. mug — a face
  11. root — of a word
  12. chip — to eat
  13. dip — to sink
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. wake — before a funeral
  16. mug — to rob
  17. dip — to dunk
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. dip — a sauce
  20. chip — for betting
  21. wake — a trail
  22. root — the cause
  23. racket — a loud noise
  24. wake — to stop sleeping

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