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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. This piece is in a major ________________.
  2. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  3. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  4. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  5. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  6. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  7. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  8. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  9. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  10. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  11. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  12. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  13. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  14. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  15. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  16. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  17. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  18. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  19. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  20. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  21. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  22. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  23. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  24. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.

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

Answer key

  1. key — in music
  2. bat — in an idiom
  3. ruler — a monarch
  4. chip — to eat
  5. root — of a word
  6. chair — a leader
  7. root — of a plant
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. root — the cause
  10. bat — for baseball
  11. chair — a professorship
  12. cap — a lid
  13. cap — of ice
  14. key — for a lock
  15. chair — to sit on
  16. leaves — of a tree
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. chip — in a computer
  19. leaves — to go away
  20. chip — for betting
  21. leaves — lets stay
  22. cap — a hat
  23. key — the most important part
  24. bat — the animal

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