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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.

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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 ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  2. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  3. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  4. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  5. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  6. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  7. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  8. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  9. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  10. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  11. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  12. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  13. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  14. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  15. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  16. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  17. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  18. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  19. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  20. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  21. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  22. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  23. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  24. The ________________ market has crashed.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a word
  2. board — a flat piece
  3. craft — a skill
  4. leaves — of a tree
  5. degree — an amount
  6. chest — a box
  7. leaves — to go away
  8. root — the cause
  9. stock — a soup base
  10. chest — of your body
  11. degree — temperature
  12. lie — to recline
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. root — of a plant
  15. leaves — lets stay
  16. board — a committee
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. chest — of your body
  19. board — to get on
  20. stock — goods
  21. craft — a handicraft
  22. degree — from a university
  23. craft — boats
  24. stock — shares

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