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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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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: board · spring · can · fall · root · stick · kid · chip

  1. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  2. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  3. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  4. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  5. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  6. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  7. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  8. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  9. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  10. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  11. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  12. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  13. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  14. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  15. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  16. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  17. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  18. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  19. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  20. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  21. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  22. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  23. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  24. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. can — to be able to
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. root — of a plant
  6. fall — to drop
  7. chip — to eat
  8. board — to get on
  9. fall — to drop
  10. can — a tin
  11. spring — of water
  12. kid — to tease
  13. stick — to attach or keep to
  14. chip — in a computer
  15. spring — the season
  16. fall — the season
  17. board — a committee
  18. kid — child
  19. root — the cause
  20. root — of a word
  21. chip — for betting
  22. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  23. board — a flat piece
  24. spring — a coil

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