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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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
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: ruler · root · spring · press · bass · land · chip · dip

  1. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  2. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  3. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  4. Did you ________________ the button?
  5. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  6. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  7. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  8. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  9. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  10. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  11. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  12. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  13. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  14. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  15. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  16. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  17. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  18. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  19. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  20. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  21. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  22. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  23. When are we going to ________________?
  24. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — in a computer
  2. chip — for betting
  3. press — newspapers
  4. press — to push
  5. dip — a sauce
  6. spring — the season
  7. bass — the instrument
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. bass — the fish
  10. bass — low music
  11. land — ground
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. dip — to dunk
  14. press — a publisher
  15. ruler — a monarch
  16. root — of a plant
  17. root — of a word
  18. dip — to sink
  19. spring — of water
  20. land — a country
  21. root — the cause
  22. chip — to eat
  23. land — to come down
  24. spring — a coil

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