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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: court · root · chip · dip · perch · club · cap · track

  1. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  2. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  3. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  4. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  5. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  6. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  7. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  8. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  9. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  10. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  11. The ball is in your ________________.
  12. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  13. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  14. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  15. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  16. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  17. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  18. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  19. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  20. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  21. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  22. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  23. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  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. club — a group
  2. chip — for betting
  3. chip — in a computer
  4. cap — a hat
  5. root — of a word
  6. track — to keep track
  7. dip — to dunk
  8. chip — to eat
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. track — a path
  11. court — for sport
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. track — a song
  14. club — for golf
  15. court — of a king
  16. root — the cause
  17. club — for dancing
  18. cap — of ice
  19. dip — a sauce
  20. dip — to sink
  21. court — of law
  22. cap — a lid
  23. perch — the fish
  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