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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: hand · staff · chip · root · toast · wax · craft · pitch

  1. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  2. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  3. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  4. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  5. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  6. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  7. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  8. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  9. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  10. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  11. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  12. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  13. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  14. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  15. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  16. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  17. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  18. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  19. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  20. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  21. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  22. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  23. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  24. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a plant
  2. toast — a drink to someone
  3. staff — employees
  4. hand — in cards
  5. pitch — a sports field
  6. staff — employees
  7. craft — a handicraft
  8. wax — in the ear
  9. toast — the most admired
  10. hand — part of the body
  11. chip — in a computer
  12. wax — for sculpting
  13. craft — boats
  14. chip — for betting
  15. root — of a word
  16. wax — to grow
  17. pitch — completely
  18. hand — help
  19. toast — bread
  20. staff — a stick
  21. chip — to eat
  22. pitch — a sales talk
  23. craft — a skill
  24. root — the cause

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