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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. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  3. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  4. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  5. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  6. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  7. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  8. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  9. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  10. That was ________________ to happen.
  11. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  12. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  13. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  14. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  15. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  16. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  17. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  18. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  19. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  20. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  21. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  22. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  23. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  24. Did you ________________ the meat?

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 committee
  3. craft — a handicraft
  4. season — of the year
  5. bound — obliged
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. board — to get on
  8. season — in sport
  9. jam — in traffic
  10. bound — certain
  11. board — a flat piece
  12. root — the cause
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. jam — a tight spot
  15. bound — tied together
  16. content — the amount
  17. jam — to spread on bread
  18. craft — a skill
  19. content — happy
  20. root — of a plant
  21. content — videos and posts
  22. stick — to attach or keep to
  23. craft — boats
  24. season — to add flavour

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