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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 captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  2. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  3. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  4. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  5. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  6. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  7. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  8. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  9. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  10. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  11. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  12. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  13. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  14. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  15. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  16. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  17. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  18. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  19. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  20. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  21. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  22. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  23. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  24. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. board — to get on
  2. root — the cause
  3. trunk — of a car
  4. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  5. trunk — of an elephant
  6. deal — a big deal
  7. deal — to handle
  8. degree — an amount
  9. trunk — of a tree
  10. kid — to tease
  11. rock — to move gently
  12. rock — a stone
  13. rock — music
  14. degree — from a university
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. deal — an agreement
  17. root — of a word
  18. board — a committee
  19. root — of a plant
  20. board — a flat piece
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. degree — temperature
  23. kid — child
  24. racket — a loud noise

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