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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 116 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: mug · stick · wake · spring · chip · firm · bowl · root

  1. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  2. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  3. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  4. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  5. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  6. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  7. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  8. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  9. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  10. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  11. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  12. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  13. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  14. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  15. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  16. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  17. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  18. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  19. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  20. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  21. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  22. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  23. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  24. Where did you ________________ them?

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

Answer key

  1. root — the cause
  2. root — of a word
  3. wake — a trail
  4. mug — a face
  5. bowl — to roll
  6. chip — for betting
  7. root — of a plant
  8. bowl — a dish
  9. stick — to attach or keep to
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. firm — a company
  12. mug — a cup
  13. spring — a coil
  14. wake — to stop sleeping
  15. chip — in a computer
  16. wake — before a funeral
  17. bowl — a football final
  18. chip — to eat
  19. spring — of water
  20. spring — the season
  21. firm — decided
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. firm — steady
  24. mug — to rob

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