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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. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  2. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  3. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  4. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  5. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  6. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  7. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  8. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  9. The water is too ________________.
  10. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  11. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  12. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  13. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  14. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  15. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  16. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  17. Have you met the new head ________________?
  18. Don't do anything ________________.
  19. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  20. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  21. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  22. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  23. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  24. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a plant
  2. rash — on the skin
  3. fine — a penalty
  4. board — a flat piece
  5. board — to get on
  6. fine — high quality
  7. fine — all right
  8. staff — employees
  9. cold — not warm
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. coach — pulled by horses
  12. rash — a series
  13. cold — an illness
  14. root — the cause
  15. chip — in a computer
  16. staff — a stick
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. rash — hasty
  19. board — a committee
  20. root — of a word
  21. cold — the Cold War
  22. staff — employees
  23. chip — to eat
  24. chip — for betting

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