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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 ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  2. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  3. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  4. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  5. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  6. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  7. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  8. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  9. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  10. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  11. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  12. False peace will not ________________.
  13. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  14. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  15. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  16. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  17. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  18. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  19. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  20. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  21. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  22. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  23. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  24. Let us try to swim against the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a word
  2. board — a flat piece
  3. trunk — of an elephant
  4. straw — a straw man
  5. trunk — of a tree
  6. current — happening now
  7. current — electric
  8. trunk — of a car
  9. root — the cause
  10. pitch — a sports field
  11. pitch — completely
  12. last — to go on
  13. club — for golf
  14. pitch — a sales talk
  15. club — for dancing
  16. club — a group
  17. straw — to clutch at straws
  18. board — a committee
  19. root — of a plant
  20. last — final
  21. board — to get on
  22. last — finally
  23. straw — dry grass
  24. current — of water

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