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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. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  2. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  3. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  4. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  5. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  6. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  7. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  8. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  9. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  10. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  11. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  12. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  13. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  14. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  15. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  16. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  17. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  18. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  19. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  20. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  21. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  22. That was a fun ________________.
  23. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  24. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a kind of play
  2. root — the cause
  3. bark — of a tree
  4. chip — for betting
  5. root — of a word
  6. lash — a whip stroke
  7. lash — to lash out
  8. lash — an eyelash
  9. root — of a plant
  10. fine — high quality
  11. field — a subject
  12. fine — a penalty
  13. bark — to shout
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. field — farmland
  16. chip — in a computer
  17. bark — a dog's sound
  18. patient — calm and waiting
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. fine — all right
  21. field — for sport
  22. game — a match
  23. game — wild animals
  24. chip — to eat

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