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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.

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: pitcher · mate · season · chip · rash · root · ruler · clip

  1. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  2. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  3. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  4. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  5. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  6. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  7. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  8. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  9. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  10. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  11. He is an ace ________________.
  12. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  13. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  14. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  15. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  16. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  17. Don't do anything ________________.
  18. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  19. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  20. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  21. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  22. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  23. Have you found your soul ________________?
  24. Did you ________________ the meat?

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. chip — in a computer
  3. root — the cause
  4. chip — to eat
  5. season — in sport
  6. ruler — a monarch
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. chip — for betting
  9. mate — to breed
  10. clip — for paper
  11. pitcher — in baseball
  12. mate — a friend
  13. root — of a plant
  14. rash — a series
  15. clip — to cut
  16. season — of the year
  17. rash — hasty
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. clip — a video
  20. root — of a word
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. rash — on the skin
  23. mate — a partner
  24. season — to add flavour

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