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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 strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  2. He works in a ________________ mill.
  3. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  4. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  5. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  6. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  7. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  8. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  9. The tickets are free of ________________.
  10. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  11. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  12. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  13. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  14. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  15. She's very handy with a ________________.
  16. David sat on the ________________.
  17. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  18. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  19. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  20. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  21. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  22. That was ________________ to happen.
  23. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  24. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. saw — the tool
  3. swing — music
  4. root — of a word
  5. mark — a grade
  6. charge — electricity
  7. root — of a plant
  8. saw — past of 'see'
  9. charge — a price
  10. charge — in control
  11. wind — to turn a key
  12. mark — a trace
  13. board — a committee
  14. board — a flat piece
  15. saw — the tool
  16. swing — to play on
  17. swing — in golf
  18. wind — moving air
  19. mark — to pay attention
  20. bound — tied together
  21. bound — obliged
  22. bound — certain
  23. board — to get on
  24. root — the cause

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