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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. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  2. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  3. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  4. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  5. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  6. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  7. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  8. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  9. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  10. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  11. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  12. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  13. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  14. The ball is in your ________________.
  15. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  16. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  17. The ________________ market has crashed.
  18. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  19. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  20. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  21. That was a fun ________________.
  22. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  23. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  24. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a music group
  2. root — the cause
  3. foot — the bottom
  4. chip — in a computer
  5. root — of a plant
  6. band — a ring
  7. foot — part of the body
  8. deal — an agreement
  9. foot — a measure
  10. deal — to handle
  11. chip — for betting
  12. root — of a word
  13. game — wild animals
  14. court — for sport
  15. court — of a king
  16. chip — to eat
  17. stock — shares
  18. stock — goods
  19. stock — a soup base
  20. game — a kind of play
  21. game — a match
  22. deal — a big deal
  23. band — a rubber band
  24. court — of law

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