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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. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  2. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  3. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  4. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  5. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  6. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  7. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  8. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  9. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  10. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  11. When are we going to ________________?
  12. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  13. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  14. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  15. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  16. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  17. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  18. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  19. That was a fun ________________.
  20. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  21. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  22. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  23. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  24. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. root — the cause
  2. fan — to cool the air
  3. chip — to eat
  4. land — ground
  5. game — a kind of play
  6. prune — the fruit
  7. root — of a word
  8. bass — the instrument
  9. kick — in football
  10. prune — to trim
  11. land — to come down
  12. chip — for betting
  13. root — of a plant
  14. chip — in a computer
  15. kick — with a leg
  16. prune — to trim
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. bass — low music
  19. game — a match
  20. land — a country
  21. kick — a thrill
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. game — wild animals
  24. bass — the fish

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