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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. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  2. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  3. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  4. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  5. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  6. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  7. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  8. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  9. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  10. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  11. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  12. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  13. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  14. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  15. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  16. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  17. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  18. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  19. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  20. He is an ace ________________.
  21. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  22. That was a fun ________________.
  23. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  24. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.

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

Answer key

  1. game — wild animals
  2. chip — to eat
  3. net — after costs
  4. root — of a word
  5. root — the cause
  6. game — a kind of play
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. rest — what's left
  9. net — in sport
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. lash — a whip stroke
  12. rest — a break
  13. rest — what's left
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. chip — in a computer
  16. lash — an eyelash
  17. net — for catching
  18. lash — to lash out
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. pitcher — in baseball
  21. chip — for betting
  22. game — a match
  23. root — of a plant
  24. stick — to attach or keep to

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