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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. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  2. There's no middle ________________.
  3. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  4. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  5. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  6. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  7. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  8. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  9. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  10. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  11. The ball is in your ________________.
  12. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  13. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  14. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  15. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  16. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  17. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  18. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  19. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  20. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  21. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  22. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  23. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  24. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a plant
  2. ground — a position
  3. track — a song
  4. lean — thin
  5. board — to get on
  6. club — for golf
  7. track — to keep track
  8. board — a flat piece
  9. court — of a king
  10. branch — of a tree
  11. court — for sport
  12. board — a committee
  13. track — a path
  14. ground — the earth
  15. lean — to bend
  16. club — a group
  17. branch — of a bank
  18. ground — crushed
  19. court — of law
  20. branch — a division
  21. root — the cause
  22. club — for dancing
  23. root — of a word
  24. lean — to rest against

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