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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. He works in a ________________ mill.
  2. She's very handy with a ________________.
  3. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  4. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  5. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  6. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  7. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  8. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  9. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  10. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  11. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  12. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  13. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  14. Where did you ________________ them?
  15. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  16. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  17. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  18. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  19. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  20. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  21. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  22. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  23. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  24. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. saw — the tool
  3. bowl — a dish
  4. root — of a word
  5. mug — a face
  6. staff — employees
  7. bowl — to roll
  8. root — the cause
  9. wax — in the ear
  10. track — a path
  11. mug — a cup
  12. staff — a stick
  13. saw — past of 'see'
  14. mug — to rob
  15. track — to keep track
  16. track — a song
  17. chip — to eat
  18. chip — for betting
  19. chip — in a computer
  20. wax — to grow
  21. root — of a plant
  22. wax — for sculpting
  23. staff — employees
  24. bowl — a football final

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