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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. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  3. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  4. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  5. Have you found your soul ________________?
  6. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  7. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  8. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  9. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  10. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  11. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  12. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  13. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  14. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  15. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  16. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  17. The water is too ________________.
  18. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  19. He is an ace ________________.
  20. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  21. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  22. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  23. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  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. mate — a friend
  3. rock — music
  4. craft — a skill
  5. mate — a partner
  6. craft — a handicraft
  7. rock — a stone
  8. root — of a plant
  9. craft — boats
  10. root — of a word
  11. pound — a weight
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. root — the cause
  14. pound — for dogs
  15. pound — to hit hard
  16. chip — in a computer
  17. cold — not warm
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. pitcher — in baseball
  20. chip — to eat
  21. mate — to breed
  22. cold — an illness
  23. rock — to move gently
  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