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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 116 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 ball hit the back of the ________________.
  2. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  3. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  4. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  5. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  6. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  7. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  8. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  9. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  10. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  11. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  12. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  13. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  14. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  15. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  16. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  17. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  18. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  19. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  20. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  21. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  22. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  23. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  24. What was your ________________ profit last year?

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

Answer key

  1. net — in sport
  2. pitch — a sales talk
  3. patient — calm and waiting
  4. squash — to crush
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. board — to get on
  7. board — a committee
  8. root — of a plant
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. pound — a weight
  11. chair — a leader
  12. chair — to sit on
  13. board — a flat piece
  14. pitch — completely
  15. pitch — a sports field
  16. net — for catching
  17. root — of a word
  18. pound — for dogs
  19. squash — the vegetable
  20. pound — to hit hard
  21. squash — the sport
  22. chair — a professorship
  23. root — the cause
  24. net — after costs

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