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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. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  2. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  3. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  4. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  5. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  6. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  7. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  8. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  9. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  10. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  11. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  12. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  13. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  14. Have you settled on a ________________?
  15. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  16. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  17. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  18. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  19. That was a fun ________________.
  20. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  21. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  22. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  23. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  24. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.

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

Answer key

  1. root — the cause
  2. game — a kind of play
  3. root — of a plant
  4. root — of a word
  5. date — on the calendar
  6. chip — to eat
  7. file — a document
  8. fall — to drop
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. chip — in a computer
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. file — a line of people
  13. file — a tool
  14. date — on the calendar
  15. chip — for betting
  16. racket — a loud noise
  17. fall — to drop
  18. foot — the bottom
  19. game — a match
  20. game — wild animals
  21. foot — part of the body
  22. date — the fruit
  23. foot — a measure
  24. fall — the season

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