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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. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  2. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  3. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  4. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  5. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  6. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  7. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  8. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  9. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  10. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  11. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  12. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  13. The King held a masked ________________.
  14. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  15. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  16. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  17. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  18. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  19. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  20. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  21. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  22. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  23. How do you ________________ your surname?
  24. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — for betting
  2. kick — in football
  3. root — of a plant
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. spell — magic
  6. scale — for weighing
  7. root — the cause
  8. clip — for paper
  9. scale — size or range
  10. spell — a short time
  11. chip — in a computer
  12. clip — a video
  13. ball — a dance
  14. clip — to cut
  15. chip — to eat
  16. root — of a word
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. scale — in music
  19. hide — animal skin
  20. ball — a great time
  21. kick — with a leg
  22. ball — a round shape
  23. spell — letters
  24. kick — a thrill

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