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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 120 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. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  3. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  4. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  5. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  6. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  7. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  8. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  9. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  10. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  11. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  12. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  13. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  14. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  15. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  16. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  17. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  18. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  19. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  20. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  21. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  22. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  23. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  24. ________________ you help me carry this box?

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

Answer key

  1. board — a committee
  2. bank — of a river
  3. mine — belonging to me
  4. can — a tin
  5. can — a tin
  6. bank — for money
  7. board — a flat piece
  8. root — of a word
  9. root — of a plant
  10. mine — an explosive
  11. root — the cause
  12. capital — a city
  13. clip — to cut
  14. firm — decided
  15. mine — for digging
  16. capital — money
  17. firm — a company
  18. bank — for money
  19. capital — a big letter
  20. clip — a video
  21. clip — for paper
  22. board — to get on
  23. firm — steady
  24. can — to be able to

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