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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: chip · present · root · mouse · rest · date · ball · wind

  1. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  2. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  3. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  4. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  5. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  6. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  7. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  8. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  9. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  10. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  11. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  12. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  13. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  14. Have you settled on a ________________?
  15. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  16. The King held a masked ________________.
  17. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  18. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  19. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  20. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  21. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  22. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  23. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  24. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — to turn a key
  2. rest — a break
  3. present — the time now
  4. ball — a round shape
  5. date — the fruit
  6. rest — what's left
  7. chip — for betting
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. chip — to eat
  10. date — on the calendar
  11. root — the cause
  12. wind — moving air
  13. mouse — for a computer
  14. date — on the calendar
  15. wind — moving air
  16. ball — a dance
  17. ball — a great time
  18. present — a gift
  19. chip — in a computer
  20. root — of a word
  21. rest — what's left
  22. present — there
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. root — of a plant

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