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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. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  2. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  3. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  4. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  5. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  6. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  7. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  8. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  9. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  10. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  11. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  12. That must've been a ________________.
  13. There's no middle ________________.
  14. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  15. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  16. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  17. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  18. My father caught me by the ________________.
  19. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  20. She's very handy with a ________________.
  21. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  22. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  23. He works in a ________________ mill.
  24. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. arm — a part of something
  3. ground — the earth
  4. chip — to eat
  5. rush — to hurry
  6. mark — a grade
  7. chip — in a computer
  8. root — the cause
  9. root — of a word
  10. rush — hurry
  11. squash — the sport
  12. rush — a thrill
  13. ground — a position
  14. chip — for betting
  15. squash — the vegetable
  16. squash — to crush
  17. root — of a plant
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. ground — crushed
  20. saw — the tool
  21. saw — past of 'see'
  22. mark — to pay attention
  23. saw — the tool
  24. mark — a trace

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