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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 potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  2. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  3. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  4. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  5. She's very handy with a ________________.
  6. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  7. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  8. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  9. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  10. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  11. He works in a ________________ mill.
  12. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  13. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  14. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  15. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  16. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  17. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  18. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  19. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  20. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  21. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  22. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  23. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  24. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — to eat
  2. hand — in cards
  3. vault — in gymnastics
  4. root — the cause
  5. saw — the tool
  6. vault — an arched ceiling
  7. ruler — a monarch
  8. squash — the vegetable
  9. chip — for betting
  10. root — of a plant
  11. saw — the tool
  12. file — a document
  13. file — a line of people
  14. squash — the sport
  15. vault — a safe
  16. saw — past of 'see'
  17. squash — to crush
  18. hand — help
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. chip — in a computer
  21. file — a tool
  22. root — of a word
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. hand — part of the body

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