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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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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: arm · scale · bass · stick · chip · bat · root · cold

  1. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  2. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  3. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  4. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  5. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  6. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  7. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  8. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  9. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  10. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  11. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  12. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  13. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  14. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  15. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  16. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  17. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  18. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  19. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  20. My father caught me by the ________________.
  21. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  22. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  23. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  24. The water is too ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a plant
  2. cold — an illness
  3. chip — in a computer
  4. cold — the Cold War
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. scale — for weighing
  8. bass — the instrument
  9. stick — to attach or keep to
  10. chip — to eat
  11. bat — in an idiom
  12. bass — low music
  13. bat — for baseball
  14. scale — size or range
  15. bat — the animal
  16. scale — in music
  17. bass — the fish
  18. root — of a word
  19. arm — a part of something
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. root — the cause
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. chip — for betting
  24. cold — not warm

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