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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. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  2. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  3. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  4. How do you ________________ your surname?
  5. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  6. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  7. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  8. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  9. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  10. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  11. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  12. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  13. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  14. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  15. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  16. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  17. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  18. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  19. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  20. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  21. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  22. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  23. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  24. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. board — a flat piece
  3. root — of a plant
  4. spell — letters
  5. board — a committee
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. bass — the fish
  8. bass — the instrument
  9. root — the cause
  10. bass — low music
  11. prune — the fruit
  12. spell — a short time
  13. board — to get on
  14. cue — for pool
  15. prune — to trim
  16. patient — calm and waiting
  17. cue — a hint
  18. prune — to trim
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. cue — a signal
  21. wind — to turn a key
  22. wind — moving air
  23. spell — magic
  24. root — of a word

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