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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 116 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: root · kid · fan · chip · ball · bay · trunk · bowl

  1. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  2. The King held a masked ________________.
  3. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  4. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  5. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  6. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  7. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  8. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  9. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  10. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  11. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  12. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  13. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  14. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  15. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  16. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  17. My mare is ________________ in color.
  18. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  19. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  20. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  21. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  22. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  23. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  24. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. ball — a dance
  3. fan — to cool the air
  4. bay — to keep at bay
  5. root — of a plant
  6. trunk — of a car
  7. kid — child
  8. chip — in a computer
  9. bowl — a football final
  10. trunk — of a tree
  11. root — the cause
  12. chip — to eat
  13. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  14. ball — a round shape
  15. ball — a great time
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. bay — a horse colour
  18. bay — a part of the sea
  19. bowl — to roll
  20. bowl — a dish
  21. root — of a word
  22. trunk — of an elephant
  23. kid — to tease
  24. chip — for betting

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