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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: fine · mouse · club · bat · chip · root · saw · foot

  1. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  2. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  3. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  4. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  5. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  6. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  7. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  8. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  9. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  10. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  11. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  12. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  13. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  14. She's very handy with a ________________.
  15. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  16. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  17. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  18. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  19. He works in a ________________ mill.
  20. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  21. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  22. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  23. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  24. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for dancing
  2. root — of a plant
  3. mouse — for a computer
  4. chip — to eat
  5. root — the cause
  6. foot — a measure
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. foot — the bottom
  9. root — of a word
  10. bat — the animal
  11. chip — in a computer
  12. saw — past of 'see'
  13. fine — all right
  14. saw — the tool
  15. club — for golf
  16. bat — for baseball
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. bat — in an idiom
  19. saw — the tool
  20. fine — high quality
  21. foot — part of the body
  22. chip — for betting
  23. fine — a penalty
  24. club — a group

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