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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. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  2. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  3. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  4. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  5. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  6. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  7. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  8. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  9. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  10. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  11. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  12. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  13. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  14. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  15. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  16. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  17. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  18. Did you ________________ the meat?
  19. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  20. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  21. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  22. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  23. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  24. My father caught me by the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a word
  2. vault — in gymnastics
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. pound — a weight
  5. clip — for paper
  6. board — to get on
  7. root — of a plant
  8. craft — boats
  9. clip — to cut
  10. craft — a handicraft
  11. pound — for dogs
  12. arm — a part of something
  13. board — a committee
  14. root — the cause
  15. craft — a skill
  16. vault — a safe
  17. season — of the year
  18. season — to add flavour
  19. pound — to hit hard
  20. vault — an arched ceiling
  21. board — a flat piece
  22. clip — a video
  23. season — in sport
  24. arm — part of the body

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