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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. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  2. The ball is in your ________________.
  3. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  4. That must've been a ________________.
  5. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  6. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  7. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  8. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  9. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  10. That was ________________ to happen.
  11. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  12. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  13. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  14. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  15. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  16. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  17. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  18. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  19. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  20. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  21. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  22. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  23. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  24. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — to eat
  2. court — for sport
  3. squash — the sport
  4. rush — a thrill
  5. bear — to put up with
  6. rock — to move gently
  7. chip — for betting
  8. bound — tied together
  9. rush — to hurry
  10. bound — certain
  11. root — the cause
  12. court — of a king
  13. bound — obliged
  14. bear — the animal
  15. rock — a stone
  16. rush — hurry
  17. squash — to crush
  18. chip — in a computer
  19. rock — music
  20. root — of a plant
  21. squash — the vegetable
  22. root — of a word
  23. court — of law
  24. bear — the animal

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