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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: mine · bat · root · suit · snap · chip · stick · toast

  1. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  2. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  3. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  4. When will it ________________ you to start?
  5. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  6. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  7. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  8. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  9. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  10. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  11. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  12. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  13. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  14. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  15. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  16. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  17. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  18. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  19. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  20. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  21. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  22. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  23. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  24. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — for digging
  2. bat — in an idiom
  3. snap — to speak sharply
  4. suit — to fit
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. stick — to attach or keep to
  7. mine — an explosive
  8. snap — to click
  9. mine — belonging to me
  10. snap — to snap out of it
  11. chip — in a computer
  12. chip — for betting
  13. root — of a plant
  14. bat — the animal
  15. root — of a word
  16. bat — for baseball
  17. toast — a drink to someone
  18. toast — bread
  19. toast — the most admired
  20. suit — clothes
  21. chip — to eat
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. suit — in cards
  24. root — the cause

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