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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 had ________________ pain while walking.
  3. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  4. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  5. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  6. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  7. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  8. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  9. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  10. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  11. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  12. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  13. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  14. The ball is in your ________________.
  15. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  16. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  17. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  18. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  19. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  20. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  21. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  22. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  23. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  24. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. chip — to eat
  2. calf — of the leg
  3. root — of a word
  4. chip — in a computer
  5. root — of a plant
  6. degree — temperature
  7. chip — for betting
  8. wound — past of 'wind'
  9. wound — an injury
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. degree — an amount
  12. court — of a king
  13. prune — to trim
  14. court — for sport
  15. wound — an injury
  16. root — the cause
  17. prune — the fruit
  18. prune — to trim
  19. pit — a hole
  20. court — of law
  21. pit — in a race
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. degree — from a university
  24. pit — a fruit stone

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