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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: deal · content · object · cold · chip · root · mark · leaves

  1. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  2. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  3. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  4. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  5. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  6. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  7. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  8. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  9. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  10. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  11. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  12. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  13. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  14. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  15. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  16. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  17. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  18. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  19. The water is too ________________.
  20. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  21. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  22. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  23. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  24. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.

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

Answer key

  1. root — the cause
  2. chip — to eat
  3. mark — to pay attention
  4. leaves — to go away
  5. mark — a trace
  6. mark — a grade
  7. leaves — of a tree
  8. object — a thing
  9. root — of a plant
  10. object — to protest
  11. content — the amount
  12. deal — a big deal
  13. root — of a word
  14. object — an aim
  15. chip — in a computer
  16. deal — to handle
  17. cold — the Cold War
  18. deal — an agreement
  19. cold — not warm
  20. leaves — lets stay
  21. content — videos and posts
  22. cold — an illness
  23. content — happy
  24. chip — for betting

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