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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.

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: cue · chip · root · hand · file · rest · pitcher · game

  1. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  2. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  3. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  4. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  5. That was a fun ________________.
  6. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  7. He is an ace ________________.
  8. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  9. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  10. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  11. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  12. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  13. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  14. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  15. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  16. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  17. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  18. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  19. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  20. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  21. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  22. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  23. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  24. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — to eat
  2. chip — for betting
  3. file — a document
  4. root — of a plant
  5. game — a match
  6. root — of a word
  7. pitcher — in baseball
  8. game — wild animals
  9. hand — in cards
  10. rest — what's left
  11. root — the cause
  12. file — a tool
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. hand — help
  15. game — a kind of play
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. rest — a break
  18. cue — a hint
  19. file — a line of people
  20. cue — for pool
  21. rest — what's left
  22. hand — part of the body
  23. chip — in a computer
  24. cue — a signal

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