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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. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  2. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  3. You don't need to ________________ round.
  4. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  5. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  6. We're almost out of ________________.
  7. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  8. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  9. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  10. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  11. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  12. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  13. Where did you ________________ them?
  14. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  15. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  16. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  17. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  18. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  19. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  20. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  21. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  22. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  23. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  24. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to bend
  2. chip — in a computer
  3. pop — to visit
  4. capital — a big letter
  5. branch — of a tree
  6. pop — soda
  7. mug — a face
  8. capital — money
  9. root — of a word
  10. chip — to eat
  11. branch — a division
  12. capital — a city
  13. mug — to rob
  14. lean — thin
  15. mug — a cup
  16. root — the cause
  17. root — of a plant
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. fan — to cool the air
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. branch — of a bank
  22. chip — for betting
  23. lean — to rest against
  24. pop — music

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