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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. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  2. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  3. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  4. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  5. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  6. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  7. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  8. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  9. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  10. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  11. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  12. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  13. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  14. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  15. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  16. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  17. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  18. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  19. The ________________ went through the wall.
  20. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  21. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  22. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  23. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  24. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — an agreement
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. bank — for money
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. bank — of a river
  6. deal — to handle
  7. nail — on a finger
  8. chip — for betting
  9. root — of a word
  10. chip — to eat
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. mouse — for a computer
  13. wound — past of 'wind'
  14. deal — a big deal
  15. cue — a hint
  16. wound — an injury
  17. chip — in a computer
  18. wound — an injury
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. cue — a signal
  21. root — of a plant
  22. bank — for money
  23. cue — for pool
  24. root — the cause

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