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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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 · last · roll · bat · chip · perch · bore · cabinet

  1. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  2. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  3. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  4. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  5. False peace will not ________________.
  6. What do you think of the new ________________?
  7. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  8. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  9. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  10. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  11. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  12. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  13. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  14. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  15. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  16. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  17. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  18. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  19. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  20. We're on a ________________ here.
  21. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  22. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  23. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  24. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — for betting
  2. last — finally
  3. root — of a word
  4. bore — to tire
  5. last — to go on
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. chip — in a computer
  8. roll — a list
  9. root — the cause
  10. roll — a cake
  11. bat — for baseball
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. perch — the fish
  14. bat — in an idiom
  15. bat — the animal
  16. bore — gave birth
  17. chip — to eat
  18. last — final
  19. cabinet — a cupboard
  20. roll — on a roll
  21. bore — to drill
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. root — of a plant

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