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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  2. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  3. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  4. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  5. It's one o'clock ________________.
  6. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  7. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  8. He was locked up in a ________________.
  9. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  10. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  11. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  12. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  13. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  14. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  15. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  16. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  17. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  18. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.

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

Answer key

  1. root — the cause
  2. board — a committee
  3. fine — all right
  4. row — a quarrel
  5. sharp — exactly
  6. board — to get on
  7. fine — a penalty
  8. cell — in a prison
  9. sharp — clever
  10. sharp — with an edge
  11. root — of a plant
  12. fine — high quality
  13. cell — in biology
  14. board — a flat piece
  15. cell — a phone
  16. row — to paddle
  17. root — of a word
  18. row — a line

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