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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. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  3. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  4. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  5. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  6. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  7. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  8. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  9. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  10. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  11. He was locked up in a ________________.
  12. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  13. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  14. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  15. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  16. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  17. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  18. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  19. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  20. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  21. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  22. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  23. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  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. chip — for betting
  2. squash — to crush
  3. root — the cause
  4. mark — to pay attention
  5. cell — in biology
  6. racket — a loud noise
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. cell — a phone
  10. chip — in a computer
  11. cell — in a prison
  12. mark — a trace
  13. fork — in a road
  14. squash — the sport
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. squash — the vegetable
  17. fork — a garden tool
  18. root — of a plant
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. fork — to eat with
  21. mark — a grade
  22. perch — the fish
  23. root — of a word
  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