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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. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  2. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  3. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  4. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  5. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  6. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  7. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  8. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  9. David sat on the ________________.
  10. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  11. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  12. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  13. Did you ________________ the meat?
  14. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  15. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  16. The ________________ took off on time.
  17. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  18. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  19. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  20. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  21. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  22. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  23. When will it ________________ you to start?
  24. How do you ________________ your surname?

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

Answer key

  1. board — a committee
  2. root — of a word
  3. swing — music
  4. plane — in geometry
  5. root — the cause
  6. root — of a plant
  7. season — in sport
  8. suit — clothes
  9. swing — to play on
  10. spell — a short time
  11. suit — in cards
  12. board — to get on
  13. season — to add flavour
  14. plane — a tool
  15. spell — magic
  16. plane — an aircraft
  17. kid — to tease
  18. season — of the year
  19. board — a flat piece
  20. kid — child
  21. swing — in golf
  22. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  23. suit — to fit
  24. spell — letters

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