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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 carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  2. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  3. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  4. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  5. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  6. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  7. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  8. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  9. There's no middle ________________.
  10. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  11. The ________________ took off on time.
  12. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  13. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  14. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  15. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  16. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  17. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  18. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  19. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  20. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  21. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  22. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  23. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  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. plane — a tool
  2. chip — for betting
  3. mine — for digging
  4. chip — in a computer
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. lash — an eyelash
  7. lash — a whip stroke
  8. root — of a word
  9. ground — a position
  10. plane — in geometry
  11. plane — an aircraft
  12. bat — in an idiom
  13. root — of a plant
  14. ground — the earth
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. mine — an explosive
  17. mine — belonging to me
  18. bat — for baseball
  19. ground — crushed
  20. racket — a loud noise
  21. chip — to eat
  22. root — the cause
  23. lash — to lash out
  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