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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. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  2. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  3. Have you met the new head ________________?
  4. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  5. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  6. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  7. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  8. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  9. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  10. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  11. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  12. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  13. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  14. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  15. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  16. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  17. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  18. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  19. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  20. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  21. Have you found your soul ________________?
  22. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  23. You don't need to ________________ round.
  24. We're almost out of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. board — to get on
  2. mate — a friend
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. coach — pulled by horses
  5. scale — in music
  6. root — the cause
  7. pop — music
  8. wind — moving air
  9. scale — for weighing
  10. mate — to breed
  11. board — a flat piece
  12. wind — moving air
  13. fall — to drop
  14. board — a committee
  15. root — of a word
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. fall — the season
  18. wind — to turn a key
  19. root — of a plant
  20. fall — to drop
  21. mate — a partner
  22. scale — size or range
  23. pop — to visit
  24. pop — soda

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