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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. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  2. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  3. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  4. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  5. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  6. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  7. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  8. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  9. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  10. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  11. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  12. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  13. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  14. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  15. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  16. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  17. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  18. The tickets are free of ________________.
  19. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  20. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  21. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  22. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  23. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  24. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a committee
  2. board — to get on
  3. band — a rubber band
  4. dip — to dunk
  5. charge — in control
  6. board — a flat piece
  7. bore — gave birth
  8. root — of a word
  9. wake — a trail
  10. bore — to tire
  11. band — a music group
  12. bear — to put up with
  13. dip — a sauce
  14. bear — the animal
  15. wake — before a funeral
  16. root — of a plant
  17. root — the cause
  18. charge — a price
  19. wake — to stop sleeping
  20. charge — electricity
  21. bore — to drill
  22. dip — to sink
  23. band — a ring
  24. bear — the animal

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