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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. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  2. He is an ace ________________.
  3. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  4. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  5. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  6. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  7. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  8. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  9. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  10. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  11. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  12. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  13. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  14. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  15. She's very handy with a ________________.
  16. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  17. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  18. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  19. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  20. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  21. He works in a ________________ mill.
  22. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  23. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  24. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. pitcher — in baseball
  3. root — of a plant
  4. chip — in a computer
  5. root — the cause
  6. face — to point toward
  7. jam — to spread on bread
  8. track — a song
  9. root — of a word
  10. jam — a tight spot
  11. saw — past of 'see'
  12. face — to confront
  13. track — a path
  14. chip — to eat
  15. saw — the tool
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. track — to keep track
  18. bore — to drill
  19. face — part of the head
  20. jam — in traffic
  21. saw — the tool
  22. chip — for betting
  23. bore — to tire
  24. bore — gave birth

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