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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: march · root · pass · arm · land · chip · straw · date

  1. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  2. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  3. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  4. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  5. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  6. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  7. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  8. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  9. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  10. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  11. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  12. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  13. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  14. Have you settled on a ________________?
  15. When are we going to ________________?
  16. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  17. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  18. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  19. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  20. My father caught me by the ________________.
  21. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  22. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  23. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  24. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — a straw man
  2. chip — for betting
  3. date — the fruit
  4. march — music
  5. pass — a permit
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. land — ground
  8. chip — to eat
  9. straw — dry grass
  10. pass — to spend time
  11. root — of a plant
  12. march — the month
  13. chip — in a computer
  14. date — on the calendar
  15. land — to come down
  16. march — the month
  17. pass — to succeed
  18. date — on the calendar
  19. arm — a part of something
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. root — of a word
  22. root — the cause
  23. straw — to clutch at straws
  24. land — a country

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