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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. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  2. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  3. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  4. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  5. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  6. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  7. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  8. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  9. She's very handy with a ________________.
  10. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  11. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  12. He works in a ________________ mill.
  13. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  14. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  15. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  16. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  17. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  18. I can't ________________ this cold.
  19. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  20. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  21. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  22. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  23. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  24. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.

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

Answer key

  1. root — the cause
  2. board — to get on
  3. hand — part of the body
  4. root — of a plant
  5. drill — a practice
  6. band — a ring
  7. board — a committee
  8. branch — a division
  9. saw — the tool
  10. band — a rubber band
  11. branch — of a bank
  12. saw — the tool
  13. hand — help
  14. drill — army training
  15. root — of a word
  16. board — a flat piece
  17. branch — of a tree
  18. stand — to bear
  19. hand — in cards
  20. stand — for spectators
  21. band — a music group
  22. stand — on your feet
  23. saw — past of 'see'
  24. drill — the tool

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