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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: content · fork · spell · root · plane · chip · race · snap

  1. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  2. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  3. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  4. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  5. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  6. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  7. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  8. How do you ________________ your surname?
  9. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  10. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  11. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  12. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  13. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  14. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  15. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  16. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  17. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  18. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  19. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  20. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  21. The ________________ took off on time.
  22. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  23. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  24. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — a tool
  2. content — the amount
  3. race — humankind
  4. snap — to speak sharply
  5. chip — to eat
  6. root — the cause
  7. fork — in a road
  8. spell — letters
  9. chip — in a computer
  10. fork — a garden tool
  11. snap — to snap out of it
  12. spell — magic
  13. snap — to click
  14. spell — a short time
  15. fork — to eat with
  16. race — a contest
  17. plane — in geometry
  18. root — of a plant
  19. content — happy
  20. chip — for betting
  21. plane — an aircraft
  22. race — the arms race
  23. content — videos and posts
  24. root — of a word

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