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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. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  2. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  3. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  4. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  5. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  6. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  7. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  8. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  9. He is an ace ________________.
  10. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  11. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  12. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  13. My mare is ________________ in color.
  14. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  15. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  16. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  17. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  18. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  19. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  20. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  21. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  22. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  23. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  24. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.

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

Answer key

  1. board — to get on
  2. root — of a word
  3. bay — a part of the sea
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. board — a committee
  6. board — a flat piece
  7. band — a music group
  8. root — the cause
  9. pitcher — in baseball
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. bay — to keep at bay
  12. net — in sport
  13. bay — a horse colour
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. patient — calm and waiting
  16. net — for catching
  17. spring — of water
  18. band — a ring
  19. net — after costs
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. band — a rubber band
  22. spring — the season
  23. root — of a plant
  24. spring — a coil

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