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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 116 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. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  2. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  3. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  4. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  5. We're almost out of ________________.
  6. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  7. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  8. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  9. You don't need to ________________ round.
  10. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  11. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  12. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  13. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  14. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  15. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  16. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  17. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  18. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  19. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  20. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  21. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  22. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  23. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  24. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — for betting
  2. branch — a division
  3. root — of a word
  4. branch — of a tree
  5. pop — soda
  6. leaves — of a tree
  7. lash — to lash out
  8. lash — a whip stroke
  9. pop — to visit
  10. hand — help
  11. chip — in a computer
  12. leaves — lets stay
  13. lash — an eyelash
  14. branch — of a bank
  15. chip — to eat
  16. bowl — a dish
  17. leaves — to go away
  18. hand — part of the body
  19. bowl — to roll
  20. pop — music
  21. hand — in cards
  22. root — of a plant
  23. bowl — a football final
  24. root — the cause

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