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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. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  2. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  3. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  4. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  5. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  6. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  7. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  8. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  9. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  10. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  11. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  12. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  13. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  14. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  15. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  16. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  17. How do you ________________ your surname?
  18. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  19. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  20. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  21. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  22. The water is too ________________.
  23. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  24. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — for betting
  2. present — the time now
  3. present — a gift
  4. spell — magic
  5. root — the cause
  6. bass — the instrument
  7. root — of a word
  8. chip — to eat
  9. present — there
  10. rock — music
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. spell — a short time
  13. bass — the fish
  14. rock — to move gently
  15. rock — a stone
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. spell — letters
  18. bass — low music
  19. chip — in a computer
  20. cold — an illness
  21. root — of a plant
  22. cold — not warm
  23. ruler — a monarch
  24. cold — the Cold War

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