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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: chest · root · chip · sharp · mark · pop · file · ruler

  1. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  2. You don't need to ________________ round.
  3. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  4. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  5. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  6. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  7. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  8. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  9. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  10. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  11. We're almost out of ________________.
  12. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  13. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  14. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  15. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  16. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  17. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  18. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  19. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  20. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  21. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  22. It's one o'clock ________________.
  23. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  24. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — a box
  2. pop — to visit
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. root — the cause
  5. sharp — with an edge
  6. root — of a word
  7. ruler — a monarch
  8. chest — of your body
  9. chip — in a computer
  10. pop — music
  11. pop — soda
  12. root — of a plant
  13. chip — for betting
  14. file — a document
  15. chip — to eat
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. file — a tool
  18. mark — a trace
  19. file — a line of people
  20. mark — a grade
  21. mark — to pay attention
  22. sharp — exactly
  23. sharp — clever
  24. chest — of your body

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