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

Word bank: net · chip · wind · root · club · deal · cell · can

  1. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  2. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  3. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  4. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  5. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  6. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  7. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  8. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  9. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  10. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  11. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  12. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  13. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  14. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  15. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  16. He was locked up in a ________________.
  17. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  18. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  19. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  20. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  21. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  22. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  23. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  24. Recycle the empty soda ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. net — for catching
  2. can — a tin
  3. wind — moving air
  4. cell — in biology
  5. club — a group
  6. root — of a plant
  7. cell — a phone
  8. deal — an agreement
  9. root — the cause
  10. net — in sport
  11. can — to be able to
  12. wind — to turn a key
  13. net — after costs
  14. club — for golf
  15. deal — a big deal
  16. cell — in a prison
  17. chip — in a computer
  18. root — of a word
  19. chip — to eat
  20. chip — for betting
  21. deal — to handle
  22. club — for dancing
  23. wind — moving air
  24. can — a tin

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