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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. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  2. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  3. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  4. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  5. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  6. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  7. Have you met the new head ________________?
  8. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  9. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  10. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  11. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  12. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  13. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  14. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  15. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  16. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  17. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  18. Did you ________________ the button?
  19. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  20. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  21. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  22. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  23. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  24. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — to eat
  2. branch — a division
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. dip — a sauce
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. root — of a plant
  9. chip — for betting
  10. safe — a strongbox
  11. root — the cause
  12. dip — to sink
  13. root — of a word
  14. perch — the fish
  15. branch — of a bank
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. chip — in a computer
  18. press — to push
  19. coach — pulled by horses
  20. branch — of a tree
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. dip — to dunk
  23. press — a publisher
  24. press — newspapers

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