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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. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  2. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  3. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  4. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  5. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  6. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  7. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  8. David sat on the ________________.
  9. She's very handy with a ________________.
  10. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  11. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  12. That must've been a ________________.
  13. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  14. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  15. That was ________________ to happen.
  16. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  17. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  18. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  19. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  20. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  21. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  22. He works in a ________________ mill.
  23. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  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. bear — to put up with
  3. bound — tied together
  4. rush — to hurry
  5. root — the cause
  6. saw — past of 'see'
  7. bear — the animal
  8. swing — to play on
  9. saw — the tool
  10. rush — hurry
  11. pitch — completely
  12. rush — a thrill
  13. bear — the animal
  14. bound — obliged
  15. bound — certain
  16. swing — in golf
  17. swing — music
  18. pitch — a sales talk
  19. board — a committee
  20. board — to get on
  21. pitch — a sports field
  22. saw — the tool
  23. root — of a word
  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