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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: lean · deal · root · snap · pitcher · hide · race · chip

  1. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  2. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  3. He is an ace ________________.
  4. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  5. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  6. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  7. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  8. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  9. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  10. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  11. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  12. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  13. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  14. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  15. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  16. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  17. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  18. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  19. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  20. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  21. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  22. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  23. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  24. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. root — of a plant
  3. pitcher — in baseball
  4. race — the arms race
  5. deal — an agreement
  6. lean — to bend
  7. deal — a big deal
  8. chip — for betting
  9. chip — in a computer
  10. race — humankind
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. lean — to rest against
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. root — the cause
  15. deal — to handle
  16. snap — to click
  17. race — a contest
  18. snap — to snap out of it
  19. chip — to eat
  20. snap — to speak sharply
  21. root — of a word
  22. lean — thin
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. hide — animal skin

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