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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 ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  2. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  3. The King held a masked ________________.
  4. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  5. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  6. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  7. She's very handy with a ________________.
  8. The ________________ went through the wall.
  9. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  10. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  11. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  12. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  13. David sat on the ________________.
  14. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  15. He works in a ________________ mill.
  16. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  17. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  18. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  19. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  20. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  21. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  22. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  23. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  24. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a word
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. ball — a dance
  4. root — of a plant
  5. nail — on a finger
  6. chip — to eat
  7. saw — the tool
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. swing — music
  10. root — the cause
  11. saw — past of 'see'
  12. object — a thing
  13. swing — to play on
  14. ball — a round shape
  15. saw — the tool
  16. object — an aim
  17. chip — in a computer
  18. wind — to turn a key
  19. ball — a great time
  20. wind — moving air
  21. wind — moving air
  22. object — to protest
  23. chip — for betting
  24. swing — in golf

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