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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. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  2. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  3. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  4. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  5. I've got to change the light ________________.
  6. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  7. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  8. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  9. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  10. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  11. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  12. The light ________________ burned out.
  13. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  14. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  15. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  16. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  17. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  18. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  19. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  20. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  21. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  22. When are we going to ________________?
  23. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  24. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — for pool
  2. root — of a plant
  3. land — ground
  4. hand — in cards
  5. bulb — for light
  6. chip — to eat
  7. bulb — of a plant
  8. wound — an injury
  9. hand — part of the body
  10. chip — in a computer
  11. branch — a division
  12. bulb — for light
  13. chip — for betting
  14. wound — an injury
  15. root — the cause
  16. hand — help
  17. root — of a word
  18. branch — of a tree
  19. land — a country
  20. wound — past of 'wind'
  21. cue — a hint
  22. land — to come down
  23. branch — of a bank
  24. cue — a signal

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