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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. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  2. We're almost out of ________________.
  3. You don't need to ________________ round.
  4. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  5. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  6. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  7. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  8. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  9. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  10. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  11. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  12. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  13. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  14. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  15. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  16. What do you think of the new ________________?
  17. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  18. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  19. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  20. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  21. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  22. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  23. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  24. He hit the ball with his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — an explosive
  2. pop — soda
  3. pop — to visit
  4. cue — a hint
  5. chair — a professorship
  6. cabinet — a cupboard
  7. root — of a plant
  8. root — of a word
  9. racket — a loud noise
  10. board — to get on
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. cue — for pool
  13. mine — belonging to me
  14. board — a flat piece
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. cue — a signal
  18. chair — to sit on
  19. mine — for digging
  20. root — the cause
  21. board — a committee
  22. pop — music
  23. chair — a leader
  24. racket — for tennis

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