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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: pitcher · mate · season · chip · rash · root

  1. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  2. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  3. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  4. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  5. He is an ace ________________.
  6. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  7. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  8. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  9. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  10. Have you found your soul ________________?
  11. Did you ________________ the meat?
  12. Don't do anything ________________.
  13. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  14. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  15. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  16. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  17. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  18. Spring is a pleasant ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a plant
  2. rash — a series
  3. mate — to breed
  4. root — of a word
  5. pitcher — in baseball
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. rash — on the skin
  8. season — in sport
  9. chip — in a computer
  10. mate — a partner
  11. season — to add flavour
  12. rash — hasty
  13. root — the cause
  14. chip — to eat
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. chip — for betting
  17. mate — a friend
  18. season — of the year

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