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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: pop · date · foot · mine · root · chip · game · sharp

  1. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  2. It's one o'clock ________________.
  3. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  4. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  5. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  6. We're almost out of ________________.
  7. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  8. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  9. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  10. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  11. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  12. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  13. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  14. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  15. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  16. You don't need to ________________ round.
  17. That was a fun ________________.
  18. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  19. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  20. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  21. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  22. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  23. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  24. Have you settled on a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. mine — an explosive
  2. sharp — exactly
  3. chip — for betting
  4. chip — in a computer
  5. foot — the bottom
  6. pop — soda
  7. mine — for digging
  8. root — the cause
  9. game — a kind of play
  10. root — of a plant
  11. foot — part of the body
  12. sharp — clever
  13. root — of a word
  14. game — wild animals
  15. foot — a measure
  16. pop — to visit
  17. game — a match
  18. chip — to eat
  19. date — the fruit
  20. pop — music
  21. sharp — with an edge
  22. mine — belonging to me
  23. date — on the calendar
  24. date — on the calendar

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