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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 polar ice ________________ is melting.
  2. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  3. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  4. When are we going to ________________?
  5. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  6. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  7. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  8. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  9. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  10. He works in a ________________ mill.
  11. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  12. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  13. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  14. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  15. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  16. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  17. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  18. She's very handy with a ________________.
  19. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  20. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  21. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  22. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  23. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  24. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — of ice
  2. bass — low music
  3. root — of a plant
  4. land — to come down
  5. saw — past of 'see'
  6. root — the cause
  7. leaves — to go away
  8. land — ground
  9. cap — a lid
  10. saw — the tool
  11. board — a flat piece
  12. pitch — a sports field
  13. board — to get on
  14. bass — the instrument
  15. cap — a hat
  16. leaves — lets stay
  17. land — a country
  18. saw — the tool
  19. pitch — a sales talk
  20. pitch — completely
  21. leaves — of a tree
  22. board — a committee
  23. bass — the fish
  24. root — of a word

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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