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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 newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  2. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  3. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  4. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  5. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  6. My mare is ________________ in color.
  7. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  8. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  9. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  10. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  11. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  12. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  13. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  14. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  15. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  16. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  17. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  18. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  19. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  20. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  21. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  22. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  23. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  24. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — the bottom
  2. board — a committee
  3. root — of a word
  4. board — to get on
  5. board — a flat piece
  6. bay — a horse colour
  7. bay — to keep at bay
  8. scale — size or range
  9. wake — before a funeral
  10. bay — a part of the sea
  11. foot — part of the body
  12. wake — a trail
  13. scale — for weighing
  14. net — for catching
  15. net — in sport
  16. root — the cause
  17. wake — to stop sleeping
  18. band — a music group
  19. net — after costs
  20. root — of a plant
  21. band — a ring
  22. scale — in music
  23. band — a rubber band
  24. foot — a measure

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