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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 ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  2. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  3. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  4. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  5. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  6. Have you met the new head ________________?
  7. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  8. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  9. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  10. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  11. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  12. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  13. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  14. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  15. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  16. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  17. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  18. My father caught me by the ________________.
  19. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  20. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  21. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  22. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  23. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  24. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a word
  2. coach — pulled by horses
  3. chip — for betting
  4. wax — in the ear
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. fork — to eat with
  8. wax — to grow
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. cap — a lid
  11. wax — for sculpting
  12. calf — of the leg
  13. chip — in a computer
  14. arm — a part of something
  15. cap — of ice
  16. cap — a hat
  17. fork — in a road
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. chip — to eat
  20. root — of a plant
  21. root — the cause
  22. fork — a garden tool
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. coach — a trainer

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