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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 120 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. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  2. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  3. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  4. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  5. That must've been a ________________.
  6. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  7. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  8. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  9. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  10. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  11. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  12. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  13. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  14. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  15. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  16. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  17. Did you ________________ the meat?
  18. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  19. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  20. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  21. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  22. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  23. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  24. There's a computer ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. root — the cause
  2. chip — for betting
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. season — of the year
  5. rush — a thrill
  6. rush — to hurry
  7. chip — to eat
  8. season — in sport
  9. staff — a stick
  10. wind — to turn a key
  11. wind — moving air
  12. racket — a loud noise
  13. bank — for money
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. staff — employees
  16. bank — for money
  17. season — to add flavour
  18. root — of a word
  19. rush — hurry
  20. bank — of a river
  21. wind — moving air
  22. staff — employees
  23. root — of a plant
  24. chip — in a computer

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