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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: tear · plane · chip · suit · pitcher · craft · root · press

  1. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  2. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  3. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  4. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  5. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  6. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  7. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  8. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  9. He is an ace ________________.
  10. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  11. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  12. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  13. Did you ________________ the button?
  14. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  15. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  16. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  17. The ________________ took off on time.
  18. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  19. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  20. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  21. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  22. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  23. When will it ________________ you to start?
  24. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — to eat
  2. root — of a plant
  3. root — of a word
  4. plane — a tool
  5. press — newspapers
  6. chip — in a computer
  7. suit — clothes
  8. tear — from crying
  9. pitcher — in baseball
  10. press — a publisher
  11. chip — for betting
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. press — to push
  14. tear — from crying
  15. plane — in geometry
  16. craft — a skill
  17. plane — an aircraft
  18. suit — in cards
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. craft — boats
  21. root — the cause
  22. craft — a handicraft
  23. suit — to fit
  24. tear — to rip

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