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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. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  2. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  3. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  4. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  5. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  6. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  7. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  8. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  9. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  10. I'll be taking the ________________.
  11. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  12. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  13. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  14. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  15. That was ________________ to happen.
  16. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  17. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  18. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  19. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  20. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  21. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  22. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  23. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  24. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.

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

Answer key

  1. root — the cause
  2. tube — in a tire
  3. chair — a professorship
  4. board — a committee
  5. tube — a container
  6. bark — a dog's sound
  7. object — to protest
  8. bound — obliged
  9. board — a flat piece
  10. tube — the underground
  11. bark — to shout
  12. mine — an explosive
  13. mine — for digging
  14. bark — of a tree
  15. bound — certain
  16. board — to get on
  17. object — an aim
  18. chair — to sit on
  19. root — of a plant
  20. bound — tied together
  21. chair — a leader
  22. object — a thing
  23. mine — belonging to me
  24. root — of a word

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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