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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. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  2. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  3. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  4. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  5. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  6. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  7. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  8. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  9. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  10. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  11. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  12. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  13. False peace will not ________________.
  14. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  15. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  16. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  17. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  18. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  19. Have you met the new head ________________?
  20. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  21. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  22. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  23. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  24. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — pulled by horses
  2. chip — to eat
  3. chip — for betting
  4. racket — a loud noise
  5. chip — in a computer
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. ruler — a monarch
  9. root — of a word
  10. last — finally
  11. current — electric
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. last — to go on
  14. root — of a plant
  15. mine — belonging to me
  16. mine — an explosive
  17. root — the cause
  18. mine — for digging
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. last — final
  23. current — of water
  24. current — happening now

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