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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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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: ruler · mark · deal · chip · staff · roll · mate · root

  1. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  2. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  3. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  4. We're on a ________________ here.
  5. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  6. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  7. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  8. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  9. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  10. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  11. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  12. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  13. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  14. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  15. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  16. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  17. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  18. Have you found your soul ________________?
  19. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  20. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  21. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  22. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  23. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  24. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — a monarch
  2. mark — to pay attention
  3. mark — a grade
  4. roll — on a roll
  5. staff — a stick
  6. deal — to handle
  7. root — the cause
  8. root — of a word
  9. root — of a plant
  10. roll — a cake
  11. chip — to eat
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. mark — a trace
  14. chip — in a computer
  15. mate — to breed
  16. chip — for betting
  17. deal — a big deal
  18. mate — a partner
  19. deal — an agreement
  20. staff — employees
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. roll — a list
  23. staff — employees
  24. mate — a friend

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