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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: arm · chip · track · root · bowl · fork · present · chair

  1. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  2. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  3. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  4. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  5. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  6. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  7. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  8. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  9. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  10. My father caught me by the ________________.
  11. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  12. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  13. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  14. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  15. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  16. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  17. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  18. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  19. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  20. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  21. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  22. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  23. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  24. There's a computer ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. track — a song
  3. root — of a plant
  4. present — the time now
  5. chair — a leader
  6. track — to keep track
  7. chip — for betting
  8. bowl — to roll
  9. fork — a garden tool
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. arm — a part of something
  12. fork — in a road
  13. present — there
  14. bowl — a dish
  15. bowl — a football final
  16. chair — a professorship
  17. fork — to eat with
  18. track — a path
  19. chip — to eat
  20. root — of a word
  21. chair — to sit on
  22. root — the cause
  23. present — a gift
  24. chip — in a computer

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