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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: fork · spell · lean · chip · arm · deal · root · season

  1. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  2. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  3. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  4. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  5. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  6. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  7. Did you ________________ the meat?
  8. How do you ________________ your surname?
  9. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  10. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  11. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  12. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  13. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  14. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  15. My father caught me by the ________________.
  16. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  17. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  18. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  19. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  20. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  21. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  22. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  23. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  24. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. season — in sport
  2. lean — thin
  3. fork — in a road
  4. fork — a garden tool
  5. chip — for betting
  6. deal — a big deal
  7. season — to add flavour
  8. spell — letters
  9. spell — magic
  10. deal — an agreement
  11. chip — to eat
  12. lean — to rest against
  13. root — of a word
  14. lean — to bend
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. season — of the year
  17. deal — to handle
  18. root — of a plant
  19. arm — a part of something
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. spell — a short time
  22. fork — to eat with
  23. chip — in a computer
  24. root — the cause

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