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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. When will it ________________ you to start?
  2. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  3. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  4. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  5. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  6. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  7. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  8. My father caught me by the ________________.
  9. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  10. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  11. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  12. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  13. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  14. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  15. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  16. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  17. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  18. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  19. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  20. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  21. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  22. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  23. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  24. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — to fit
  2. root — of a word
  3. file — a line of people
  4. hand — help
  5. suit — clothes
  6. bowl — a football final
  7. arm — a part of something
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. board — to get on
  10. board — a flat piece
  11. spring — a coil
  12. hand — in cards
  13. suit — in cards
  14. spring — of water
  15. root — the cause
  16. bowl — a dish
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. file — a document
  19. root — of a plant
  20. hand — part of the body
  21. board — a committee
  22. bowl — to roll
  23. spring — the season
  24. file — a tool

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