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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. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  2. That was a fun ________________.
  3. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  4. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  5. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  6. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  7. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  8. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  9. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  10. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  11. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  12. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  13. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  14. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  15. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  16. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  17. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  18. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  19. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  20. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  21. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  22. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  23. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  24. When will it ________________ you to start?

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

Answer key

  1. fine — all right
  2. game — a match
  3. fine — a penalty
  4. race — a contest
  5. chip — for betting
  6. root — of a plant
  7. chip — in a computer
  8. root — the cause
  9. game — a kind of play
  10. root — of a word
  11. fine — high quality
  12. suit — in cards
  13. band — a ring
  14. game — wild animals
  15. chip — to eat
  16. race — humankind
  17. bark — a dog's sound
  18. suit — clothes
  19. band — a music group
  20. bark — to shout
  21. bark — of a tree
  22. race — the arms race
  23. band — a rubber band
  24. suit — to fit

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