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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. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  2. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  3. That was a fun ________________.
  4. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  5. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  6. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  7. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  8. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  9. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  10. That must've been a ________________.
  11. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  12. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  13. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  14. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  15. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  16. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  17. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  18. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  19. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  20. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  21. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  22. I'll be taking the ________________.
  23. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  24. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — part of the body
  2. root — the cause
  3. game — a match
  4. game — a kind of play
  5. chair — a leader
  6. chair — to sit on
  7. fan — to cool the air
  8. hand — in cards
  9. rush — to hurry
  10. rush — a thrill
  11. tube — in a tire
  12. tube — a container
  13. root — of a word
  14. deal — a big deal
  15. game — wild animals
  16. hand — help
  17. deal — an agreement
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. deal — to handle
  20. root — of a plant
  21. rush — hurry
  22. tube — the underground
  23. chair — a professorship
  24. fan — a supporter

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