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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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468
Word bank
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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 sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  2. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  3. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  4. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  5. David sat on the ________________.
  6. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  7. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  8. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  9. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  10. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  11. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  12. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  13. My mare is ________________ in color.
  14. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  15. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  16. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  17. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  18. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  19. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  20. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  21. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  22. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  23. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  24. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a part of the sea
  2. fork — to eat with
  3. board — a flat piece
  4. cue — a signal
  5. swing — to play on
  6. band — a music group
  7. root — of a plant
  8. board — to get on
  9. board — a committee
  10. root — the cause
  11. fork — a garden tool
  12. band — a ring
  13. bay — a horse colour
  14. swing — music
  15. content — happy
  16. content — the amount
  17. cue — a hint
  18. cue — for pool
  19. fork — in a road
  20. bay — to keep at bay
  21. swing — in golf
  22. content — videos and posts
  23. root — of a word
  24. band — a rubber band

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