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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. He works in a ________________ mill.
  2. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  3. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  4. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  5. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  6. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  7. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  8. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  9. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  10. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  11. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  12. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  13. The light ________________ burned out.
  14. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  15. I've got to change the light ________________.
  16. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  17. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  18. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  19. She's very handy with a ________________.
  20. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  21. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  22. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  23. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  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. saw — the tool
  2. chip — for betting
  3. net — for catching
  4. squash — the sport
  5. root — of a plant
  6. club — for golf
  7. net — after costs
  8. club — a group
  9. chip — to eat
  10. saw — past of 'see'
  11. net — in sport
  12. bulb — of a plant
  13. bulb — for light
  14. club — for dancing
  15. bulb — for light
  16. squash — the vegetable
  17. fan — to cool the air
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. saw — the tool
  20. squash — to crush
  21. chip — in a computer
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. root — of a word
  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