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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. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  2. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  3. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  4. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  5. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  6. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  7. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  8. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  9. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  10. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  11. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  12. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  13. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  14. It's one o'clock ________________.
  15. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  16. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  17. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  18. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  19. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  20. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  21. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  22. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  23. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  24. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a committee
  2. deal — to handle
  3. lie — to recline
  4. root — of a word
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. deal — an agreement
  7. capital — a city
  8. net — for catching
  9. net — after costs
  10. root — the cause
  11. deal — a big deal
  12. wake — a trail
  13. board — to get on
  14. sharp — exactly
  15. sharp — clever
  16. root — of a plant
  17. sharp — with an edge
  18. board — a flat piece
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. net — in sport
  21. wake — to stop sleeping
  22. capital — a big letter
  23. capital — money
  24. wake — before a funeral

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