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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. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  2. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  3. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  4. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  5. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  6. My mare is ________________ in color.
  7. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  8. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  9. Did you ________________ the meat?
  10. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  11. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  12. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  13. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  14. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  15. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  16. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  17. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  18. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  19. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  20. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  21. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  22. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  23. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  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. root — of a word
  2. chip — to eat
  3. bay — a part of the sea
  4. chip — in a computer
  5. chip — for betting
  6. bay — a horse colour
  7. lie — to recline
  8. march — the month
  9. season — to add flavour
  10. march — the month
  11. season — in sport
  12. club — for golf
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. club — a group
  15. club — for dancing
  16. deal — an agreement
  17. season — of the year
  18. bay — to keep at bay
  19. march — music
  20. deal — to handle
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. root — of a plant
  23. deal — a big deal
  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