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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 120 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 potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  2. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  3. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  4. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  5. He was locked up in a ________________.
  6. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  7. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  8. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  9. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  10. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  11. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  12. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  13. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  14. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  15. Have you found your soul ________________?
  16. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  17. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  18. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  19. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  20. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  21. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  22. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  23. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  24. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — to eat
  2. pound — to hit hard
  3. prune — the fruit
  4. prune — to trim
  5. cell — in a prison
  6. root — of a plant
  7. pound — for dogs
  8. cell — in biology
  9. prune — to trim
  10. root — the cause
  11. scale — for weighing
  12. chip — in a computer
  13. rest — what's left
  14. scale — size or range
  15. mate — a partner
  16. mate — to breed
  17. mate — a friend
  18. pound — a weight
  19. scale — in music
  20. root — of a word
  21. cell — a phone
  22. chip — for betting
  23. rest — a break
  24. rest — what's left

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