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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: content · root · mouse · saw · chip · prune · foot · field

  1. She's very handy with a ________________.
  2. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  3. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  4. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  5. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  6. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  7. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  8. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  9. He works in a ________________ mill.
  10. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  11. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  12. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  13. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  14. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  15. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  16. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  17. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  18. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  19. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  20. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  21. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  22. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  23. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  24. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. chip — in a computer
  3. foot — part of the body
  4. content — happy
  5. prune — the fruit
  6. chip — for betting
  7. mouse — for a computer
  8. root — of a plant
  9. saw — the tool
  10. chip — to eat
  11. root — the cause
  12. field — for sport
  13. root — of a word
  14. content — videos and posts
  15. prune — to trim
  16. saw — past of 'see'
  17. field — farmland
  18. foot — the bottom
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. foot — a measure
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. prune — to trim
  23. content — the amount
  24. field — a subject

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