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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. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  2. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  3. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  4. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  5. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  6. The ________________ went through the wall.
  7. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  8. The ball is in your ________________.
  9. Have you settled on a ________________?
  10. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  11. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  12. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  13. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  14. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  15. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  16. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  17. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  18. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  19. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  20. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  21. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  22. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  23. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  24. The polar ice ________________ is melting.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a committee
  2. root — the cause
  3. bark — to shout
  4. court — of law
  5. board — a flat piece
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. court — for sport
  9. date — on the calendar
  10. cap — a hat
  11. root — of a word
  12. date — the fruit
  13. nail — on a finger
  14. root — of a plant
  15. date — on the calendar
  16. court — of a king
  17. bark — of a tree
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. board — to get on
  20. cap — a lid
  21. safe — a strongbox
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. bark — a dog's sound
  24. cap — of ice

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