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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: row · leaves · chip · chair · root · last · bear · roll

  1. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  2. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  3. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  4. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  5. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  6. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  7. False peace will not ________________.
  8. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  9. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  10. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  11. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  12. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  13. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  14. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  15. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  16. We're on a ________________ here.
  17. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  18. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  19. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  20. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  21. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  22. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  23. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  24. There's a computer ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. chip — for betting
  3. row — to paddle
  4. bear — the animal
  5. row — a quarrel
  6. last — finally
  7. last — to go on
  8. leaves — of a tree
  9. last — final
  10. leaves — to go away
  11. roll — a cake
  12. bear — to put up with
  13. chair — to sit on
  14. root — of a plant
  15. root — of a word
  16. roll — on a roll
  17. row — a line
  18. roll — a list
  19. leaves — lets stay
  20. root — the cause
  21. chair — a leader
  22. chair — a professorship
  23. chip — to eat
  24. chip — in a computer

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