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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 116 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 had ________________ pain while walking.
  2. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  3. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  4. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  5. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  6. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  7. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  8. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  9. The ball is in your ________________.
  10. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  11. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  12. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  13. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  14. When are we going to ________________?
  15. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  16. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  17. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  18. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  19. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  20. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  21. That must've been a ________________.
  22. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  23. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  24. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — of the leg
  2. chip — for betting
  3. court — of law
  4. root — of a plant
  5. wave — of the sea
  6. land — a country
  7. chip — to eat
  8. bowl — to roll
  9. court — for sport
  10. land — ground
  11. rush — to hurry
  12. root — of a word
  13. rush — hurry
  14. land — to come down
  15. wave — a sudden rise
  16. chip — in a computer
  17. wave — with your hand
  18. court — of a king
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. rush — a thrill
  22. bowl — a football final
  23. bowl — a dish
  24. root — the cause

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