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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 120 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. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  2. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  3. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  4. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  5. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  6. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  7. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  8. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  9. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  10. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  11. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  12. The ________________ took off on time.
  13. He was locked up in a ________________.
  14. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  15. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  16. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  17. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  18. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  19. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  20. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  21. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  22. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  23. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  24. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a plant
  2. kick — in football
  3. mark — to pay attention
  4. pitch — completely
  5. chip — for betting
  6. chip — in a computer
  7. file — a document
  8. root — of a word
  9. file — a tool
  10. plane — in geometry
  11. chip — to eat
  12. plane — an aircraft
  13. cell — in a prison
  14. plane — a tool
  15. mark — a trace
  16. mark — a grade
  17. root — the cause
  18. cell — in biology
  19. kick — a thrill
  20. cell — a phone
  21. kick — with a leg
  22. pitch — a sports field
  23. pitch — a sales talk
  24. file — a line of people

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