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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: root · spell · dip · pitch · march · chip · fine · hand

  1. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  2. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  3. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  4. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  5. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  6. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  7. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  8. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  9. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  10. How do you ________________ your surname?
  11. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  12. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  13. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  14. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  15. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  16. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  17. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  18. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  19. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  20. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  21. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  22. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  23. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  24. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — part of the body
  2. fine — all right
  3. dip — to dunk
  4. spell — a short time
  5. chip — for betting
  6. fine — high quality
  7. chip — to eat
  8. chip — in a computer
  9. root — the cause
  10. spell — letters
  11. pitch — a sports field
  12. march — the month
  13. pitch — a sales talk
  14. hand — help
  15. march — music
  16. dip — to sink
  17. fine — a penalty
  18. hand — in cards
  19. pitch — completely
  20. root — of a word
  21. march — the month
  22. dip — a sauce
  23. root — of a plant
  24. spell — magic

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