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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: root · net · dip · fine · chip · clip · leaves · last

  1. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  2. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  3. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  4. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  5. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  6. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  7. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  8. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  9. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  10. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  11. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  12. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  13. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  14. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  15. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  16. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  17. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  18. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  19. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  20. False peace will not ________________.
  21. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  22. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  23. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  24. Hold the papers together with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — in a computer
  2. fine — high quality
  3. chip — for betting
  4. dip — to sink
  5. last — final
  6. last — finally
  7. clip — a video
  8. leaves — lets stay
  9. chip — to eat
  10. clip — to cut
  11. dip — a sauce
  12. root — of a plant
  13. leaves — of a tree
  14. leaves — to go away
  15. net — in sport
  16. net — after costs
  17. fine — a penalty
  18. dip — to dunk
  19. root — of a word
  20. last — to go on
  21. root — the cause
  22. fine — all right
  23. net — for catching
  24. clip — for paper

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