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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. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  2. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  3. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  4. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  5. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  6. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  7. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  8. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  9. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  10. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  11. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  12. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  13. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  14. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  15. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  16. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  17. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  18. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  19. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  20. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  21. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  22. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  23. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  24. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a flat piece
  2. file — a document
  3. root — of a word
  4. board — a committee
  5. file — a line of people
  6. file — a tool
  7. snap — to click
  8. deal — an agreement
  9. snap — to snap out of it
  10. firm — steady
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. capital — a big letter
  13. board — to get on
  14. fan — to cool the air
  15. snap — to speak sharply
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. root — the cause
  18. deal — a big deal
  19. capital — money
  20. firm — decided
  21. capital — a city
  22. firm — a company
  23. deal — to handle
  24. root — of a plant

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