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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 124 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 potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  2. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  3. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  4. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  5. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  6. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  7. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  8. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  9. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  10. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  11. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  12. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  13. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  14. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  15. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  16. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  17. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  18. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  19. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  20. He is an ace ________________.
  21. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  22. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  23. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  24. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — to eat
  2. drill — army training
  3. hand — help
  4. deal — a big deal
  5. pitch — a sales talk
  6. root — of a word
  7. hand — in cards
  8. pitch — completely
  9. hide — animal skin
  10. root — of a plant
  11. chip — in a computer
  12. chip — for betting
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. drill — the tool
  15. pitch — a sports field
  16. deal — to handle
  17. root — the cause
  18. hand — part of the body
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. pitcher — in baseball
  21. drill — a practice
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. deal — an agreement

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