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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: last · mug · mate · game · date · snap · root · chip

  1. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  2. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  3. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  4. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  5. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  6. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  7. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  8. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  9. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  10. That was a fun ________________.
  11. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  12. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  13. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  14. False peace will not ________________.
  15. Where did you ________________ them?
  16. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  17. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  18. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  19. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  20. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  21. Have you found your soul ________________?
  22. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  23. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  24. Have you settled on a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a face
  2. snap — to speak sharply
  3. root — of a plant
  4. chip — in a computer
  5. snap — to snap out of it
  6. root — of a word
  7. mate — a friend
  8. date — on the calendar
  9. chip — for betting
  10. game — a match
  11. mate — to breed
  12. game — wild animals
  13. chip — to eat
  14. last — to go on
  15. mug — to rob
  16. snap — to click
  17. root — the cause
  18. mug — a cup
  19. game — a kind of play
  20. date — the fruit
  21. mate — a partner
  22. last — finally
  23. last — final
  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