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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. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  3. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  4. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  5. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  6. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  7. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  8. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  9. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  10. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  11. False peace will not ________________.
  12. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  13. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  14. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  15. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  16. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  17. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  18. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  19. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  20. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  21. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  22. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  23. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  24. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a word
  2. row — to paddle
  3. bass — the fish
  4. foot — the bottom
  5. foot — part of the body
  6. board — a committee
  7. board — to get on
  8. scale — size or range
  9. row — a quarrel
  10. root — the cause
  11. last — to go on
  12. track — a path
  13. foot — a measure
  14. row — a line
  15. last — finally
  16. track — a song
  17. scale — for weighing
  18. last — final
  19. bass — low music
  20. scale — in music
  21. bass — the instrument
  22. board — a flat piece
  23. track — to keep track
  24. root — of a plant

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