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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. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  2. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  3. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  4. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  5. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  6. How do you ________________ your surname?
  7. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  8. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  9. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  10. What do you think of the new ________________?
  11. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  12. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  13. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  14. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  15. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  16. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  17. Have you met the new head ________________?
  18. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  19. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  20. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  21. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  22. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  23. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  24. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — pulled by horses
  2. chip — for betting
  3. pass — a permit
  4. pass — to succeed
  5. wound — an injury
  6. spell — letters
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. mark — a grade
  9. pass — to spend time
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. spell — magic
  12. root — of a plant
  13. chip — in a computer
  14. chip — to eat
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. mark — to pay attention
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. mark — a trace
  19. root — of a word
  20. wound — an injury
  21. cabinet — a cupboard
  22. wound — past of 'wind'
  23. root — the cause
  24. spell — a short time

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