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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 120 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: lash · racket · wake · charge · root · chip · degree · deal

  1. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  2. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  3. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  4. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  5. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  6. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  7. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  8. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  9. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  10. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  11. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  12. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  13. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  14. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  15. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  16. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  17. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  18. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  19. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  20. The tickets are free of ________________.
  21. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  22. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  23. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  24. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — a big deal
  2. wake — to stop sleeping
  3. charge — in control
  4. chip — in a computer
  5. degree — temperature
  6. deal — to handle
  7. degree — an amount
  8. racket — a loud noise
  9. wake — before a funeral
  10. wake — a trail
  11. chip — for betting
  12. charge — electricity
  13. degree — from a university
  14. lash — a whip stroke
  15. lash — to lash out
  16. root — of a word
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. root — of a plant
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. charge — a price
  21. lash — an eyelash
  22. deal — an agreement
  23. root — the cause
  24. chip — to eat

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