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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. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  2. My father caught me by the ________________.
  3. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  4. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  5. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  6. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  7. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  8. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  9. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  10. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  11. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  12. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  13. Have you settled on a ________________?
  14. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  15. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  16. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  17. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  18. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  19. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  20. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  21. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  22. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  23. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  24. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — to eat
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. arm — a part of something
  5. craft — boats
  6. date — the fruit
  7. root — of a plant
  8. bore — to tire
  9. leaves — lets stay
  10. root — the cause
  11. deal — to handle
  12. bore — gave birth
  13. date — on the calendar
  14. deal — a big deal
  15. craft — a handicraft
  16. chip — in a computer
  17. chip — for betting
  18. bore — to drill
  19. root — of a word
  20. leaves — of a tree
  21. date — on the calendar
  22. leaves — to go away
  23. deal — an agreement
  24. craft — a skill

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