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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. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  3. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  4. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  5. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  6. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  7. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  8. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  9. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  10. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  11. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  12. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  13. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  14. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  15. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  16. She's very handy with a ________________.
  17. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  18. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  19. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  20. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  21. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  22. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  23. He works in a ________________ mill.
  24. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.

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. fork — to eat with
  4. race — humankind
  5. rock — to move gently
  6. rock — a stone
  7. object — an aim
  8. rock — music
  9. saw — past of 'see'
  10. root — of a plant
  11. object — a thing
  12. fork — in a road
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. object — to protest
  15. board — a flat piece
  16. saw — the tool
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. board — to get on
  19. fork — a garden tool
  20. race — the arms race
  21. race — a contest
  22. mouse — for a computer
  23. saw — the tool
  24. root — the cause

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