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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. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  2. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  3. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  4. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  5. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  6. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  7. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  8. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  9. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  10. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  11. Have you met the new head ________________?
  12. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  13. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  14. My father caught me by the ________________.
  15. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  16. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  17. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  18. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  19. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  20. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  21. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  22. The ________________ took off on time.
  23. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  24. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — a part of something
  2. coach — pulled by horses
  3. root — the cause
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. board — to get on
  6. plane — in geometry
  7. track — a path
  8. track — a song
  9. track — to keep track
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. spring — of water
  13. racket — a loud noise
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. board — a committee
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. spring — the season
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. root — of a plant
  20. spring — a coil
  21. plane — a tool
  22. plane — an aircraft
  23. board — a flat piece
  24. root — of a word

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