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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. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  2. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  3. When are we going to ________________?
  4. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  5. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  6. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  7. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  8. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  9. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  10. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  11. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  12. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  13. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  14. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  15. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  16. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  17. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  18. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  19. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  20. That was a fun ________________.
  21. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  22. Have you met the new head ________________?
  23. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  24. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. land — a country
  3. land — to come down
  4. file — a document
  5. chip — in a computer
  6. game — a kind of play
  7. root — the cause
  8. file — a tool
  9. land — ground
  10. chip — for betting
  11. root — of a plant
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. game — wild animals
  14. bank — for money
  15. field — a subject
  16. chip — to eat
  17. field — farmland
  18. coach — pulled by horses
  19. file — a line of people
  20. game — a match
  21. root — of a word
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. bank — of a river
  24. field — for sport

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