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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: mate · chip · row · fork · lie · root · tube · date

  1. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  2. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  3. Have you settled on a ________________?
  4. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  5. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  6. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  7. Have you found your soul ________________?
  8. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  9. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  10. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  11. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  12. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  13. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  14. I'll be taking the ________________.
  15. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  16. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  17. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  18. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  19. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  20. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  21. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  22. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  23. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  24. I had a ________________ with my boss today.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — for betting
  2. fork — a garden tool
  3. date — on the calendar
  4. lie — to recline
  5. mate — a friend
  6. root — of a plant
  7. mate — a partner
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. tube — in a tire
  10. date — on the calendar
  11. chip — in a computer
  12. root — the cause
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. tube — the underground
  15. chip — to eat
  16. mate — to breed
  17. fork — to eat with
  18. date — the fruit
  19. row — to paddle
  20. fork — in a road
  21. row — a line
  22. tube — a container
  23. root — of a word
  24. row — a quarrel

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