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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. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  2. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  3. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  4. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  5. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  6. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  7. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  8. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  9. He is an ace ________________.
  10. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  11. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  12. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  13. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  14. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  15. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  16. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  17. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  18. Have you met the new head ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. safe — a strongbox
  3. board — a flat piece
  4. board — to get on
  5. coach — pulled by horses
  6. bowl — to roll
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. pitcher — in baseball
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. root — of a plant
  12. board — a committee
  13. root — the cause
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. root — of a word
  16. bowl — a football final
  17. bowl — a dish
  18. coach — a trainer

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