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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 120 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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: chip · lean · root · spell · mine · game · nail · fork

  1. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  2. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  3. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  4. That was a fun ________________.
  5. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  6. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  7. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  8. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  9. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  10. The ________________ went through the wall.
  11. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  12. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  13. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  14. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  15. How do you ________________ your surname?
  16. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  17. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  18. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  19. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  20. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  21. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  22. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  23. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  24. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — for betting
  2. game — a kind of play
  3. lean — to bend
  4. game — a match
  5. root — of a plant
  6. lean — thin
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. chip — to eat
  9. root — of a word
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. root — the cause
  12. fork — a garden tool
  13. mine — an explosive
  14. nail — on a finger
  15. spell — letters
  16. lean — to rest against
  17. mine — for digging
  18. game — wild animals
  19. fork — in a road
  20. chip — in a computer
  21. fork — to eat with
  22. mine — belonging to me
  23. spell — a short time
  24. spell — magic

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