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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. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  3. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  4. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  5. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  6. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  7. When will it ________________ you to start?
  8. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  9. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  10. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  11. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  12. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  13. We're on a ________________ here.
  14. The water is too ________________.
  15. Where did you ________________ them?
  16. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  17. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  18. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  19. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  20. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  21. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  22. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  23. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  24. I have a corn on my right ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — to eat
  2. band — a music group
  3. mug — a face
  4. root — of a plant
  5. band — a rubber band
  6. roll — a list
  7. suit — to fit
  8. chip — for betting
  9. foot — a measure
  10. cold — an illness
  11. roll — a cake
  12. root — of a word
  13. roll — on a roll
  14. cold — not warm
  15. mug — to rob
  16. suit — clothes
  17. suit — in cards
  18. chip — in a computer
  19. root — the cause
  20. band — a ring
  21. cold — the Cold War
  22. mug — a cup
  23. foot — the bottom
  24. foot — 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