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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.

Make a worksheet

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 speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  3. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  4. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  5. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  6. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  7. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  8. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  9. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  10. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  11. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  12. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  13. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  14. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  15. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  16. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  17. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  18. Beijing is the ________________ of China.

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

Answer key

  1. root — the cause
  2. wake — a trail
  3. board — a committee
  4. wake — to stop sleeping
  5. bat — for baseball
  6. bat — the animal
  7. vault — an arched ceiling
  8. vault — a safe
  9. board — to get on
  10. root — of a word
  11. capital — a big letter
  12. root — of a plant
  13. board — a flat piece
  14. vault — in gymnastics
  15. bat — in an idiom
  16. capital — money
  17. wake — before a funeral
  18. capital — a city

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