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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 ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  2. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  3. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  4. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  5. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  6. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  7. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  8. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  9. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  10. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  11. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  12. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  13. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  14. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  15. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  16. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  17. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  18. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  19. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  20. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  21. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  22. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  23. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  24. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a word
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. pound — for dogs
  4. capital — money
  5. board — a committee
  6. safe — a strongbox
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. pass — a permit
  9. dip — a sauce
  10. dip — to sink
  11. root — the cause
  12. pound — to hit hard
  13. board — a flat piece
  14. squash — the vegetable
  15. squash — to crush
  16. pass — to spend time
  17. capital — a city
  18. dip — to dunk
  19. capital — a big letter
  20. pass — to succeed
  21. squash — the sport
  22. root — of a plant
  23. pound — a weight
  24. board — to get on

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