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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. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  2. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  3. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  4. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  5. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  6. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  7. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  8. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  9. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  10. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  11. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  12. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  13. It's one o'clock ________________.
  14. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  15. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  16. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  17. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  18. I can't ________________ this cold.
  19. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  20. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  21. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  22. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  23. He was locked up in a ________________.
  24. The ball hit the back of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. board — to get on
  2. net — after costs
  3. stand — on your feet
  4. net — for catching
  5. cell — a phone
  6. root — of a plant
  7. root — the cause
  8. fine — a penalty
  9. stand — for spectators
  10. board — a committee
  11. sharp — with an edge
  12. root — of a word
  13. sharp — exactly
  14. row — a line
  15. row — a quarrel
  16. fine — high quality
  17. cell — in biology
  18. stand — to bear
  19. fine — all right
  20. board — a flat piece
  21. row — to paddle
  22. sharp — clever
  23. cell — in a prison
  24. net — in sport

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