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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: game · rule · chip · drill · fine · mark · fan · root

  1. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  2. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  3. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  4. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  5. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  6. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  7. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  8. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  9. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  10. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  11. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  12. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  13. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  14. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  15. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  16. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  17. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  18. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  19. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  20. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  21. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  22. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  23. That was a fun ________________.
  24. Can you turn the ________________ on?

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

Answer key

  1. game — wild animals
  2. root — the cause
  3. chip — to eat
  4. mark — to pay attention
  5. mark — a trace
  6. root — of a word
  7. mark — a grade
  8. drill — the tool
  9. fine — a penalty
  10. chip — in a computer
  11. drill — a practice
  12. rule — government
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. rule — a law
  15. drill — army training
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. rule — to rule out
  18. chip — for betting
  19. fine — high quality
  20. fine — all right
  21. game — a kind of play
  22. root — of a plant
  23. game — a match
  24. fan — to cool the air

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