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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 120 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. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  3. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  4. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  5. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  6. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  7. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  8. The King held a masked ________________.
  9. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  10. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  11. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  12. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  13. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  14. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  15. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  16. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  17. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  18. Hold the papers together with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. root — the cause
  2. root — of a word
  3. ball — a round shape
  4. board — a committee
  5. deal — an agreement
  6. clip — a video
  7. deal — a big deal
  8. ball — a dance
  9. ball — a great time
  10. foot — part of the body
  11. root — of a plant
  12. foot — a measure
  13. board — a flat piece
  14. foot — the bottom
  15. deal — to handle
  16. clip — to cut
  17. board — to get on
  18. clip — for paper

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