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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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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: land · rest · current · ground · root · mate · rule · chip

  1. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  2. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  3. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  4. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  5. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  6. Have you found your soul ________________?
  7. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  8. There's no middle ________________.
  9. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  10. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  11. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  12. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  13. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  14. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  15. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  16. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  17. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  18. When are we going to ________________?
  19. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  20. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  21. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  22. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  23. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  24. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.

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

Answer key

  1. root — the cause
  2. mate — a friend
  3. land — a country
  4. rule — a law
  5. root — of a word
  6. mate — a partner
  7. rest — what's left
  8. ground — a position
  9. mate — to breed
  10. rule — to rule out
  11. chip — for betting
  12. rule — government
  13. current — electric
  14. chip — in a computer
  15. chip — to eat
  16. land — ground
  17. current — happening now
  18. land — to come down
  19. rest — a break
  20. ground — crushed
  21. ground — the earth
  22. current — of water
  23. rest — what's left
  24. root — of a plant

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