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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. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  2. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  3. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  4. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  5. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  6. The King held a masked ________________.
  7. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  8. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  9. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  10. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  11. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  12. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  13. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  14. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  15. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  16. When are we going to ________________?
  17. Where did you ________________ them?
  18. My father caught me by the ________________.
  19. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  20. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  21. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  22. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  23. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  24. False peace will not ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — in a computer
  2. ball — a round shape
  3. mug — a cup
  4. chip — to eat
  5. root — of a word
  6. ball — a dance
  7. root — the cause
  8. mug — a face
  9. chip — for betting
  10. land — ground
  11. pitch — completely
  12. pitch — a sales talk
  13. ball — a great time
  14. arm — a part of something
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. land — to come down
  17. mug — to rob
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. root — of a plant
  20. land — a country
  21. pitch — a sports field
  22. last — finally
  23. last — final
  24. last — to go on

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