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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. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  3. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  4. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  5. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  6. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  7. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  8. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  9. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  10. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  11. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  12. When will it ________________ you to start?
  13. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  14. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  15. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  16. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  17. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  18. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  19. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  20. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  21. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  22. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  23. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  24. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a flat piece
  2. lean — to rest against
  3. staff — a stick
  4. board — a committee
  5. net — in sport
  6. suit — in cards
  7. chip — for betting
  8. lean — to bend
  9. root — of a word
  10. chip — to eat
  11. branch — of a tree
  12. suit — to fit
  13. net — after costs
  14. branch — of a bank
  15. board — to get on
  16. net — for catching
  17. branch — a division
  18. root — of a plant
  19. lean — thin
  20. staff — employees
  21. staff — employees
  22. chip — in a computer
  23. suit — clothes
  24. root — the cause

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