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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 116 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. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  2. The ________________ took off on time.
  3. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  4. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  5. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  6. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  7. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  8. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  9. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  10. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  11. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  12. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  13. That was a fun ________________.
  14. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  15. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  16. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  17. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  18. The tickets are free of ________________.
  19. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  20. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  21. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  22. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  23. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  24. He took the fish out of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. present — the time now
  2. plane — an aircraft
  3. board — a committee
  4. present — there
  5. pit — in a race
  6. game — wild animals
  7. root — of a plant
  8. present — a gift
  9. game — a kind of play
  10. charge — electricity
  11. plane — a tool
  12. root — the cause
  13. game — a match
  14. board — a flat piece
  15. pit — a hole
  16. net — in sport
  17. charge — in control
  18. charge — a price
  19. root — of a word
  20. net — after costs
  21. pit — a fruit stone
  22. board — to get on
  23. plane — in geometry
  24. net — for catching

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