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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. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  2. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  3. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  4. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  5. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  6. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  7. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  8. We're almost out of ________________.
  9. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  10. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  11. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  12. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  13. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  14. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  15. You don't need to ________________ round.
  16. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  17. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  18. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  19. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  20. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  21. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  22. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  23. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  24. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.

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

Answer key

  1. root — the cause
  2. wind — to turn a key
  3. root — of a word
  4. board — to get on
  5. rest — what's left
  6. jam — in traffic
  7. pitch — completely
  8. pop — soda
  9. board — a flat piece
  10. pitch — a sports field
  11. pitch — a sales talk
  12. pop — music
  13. jam — to spread on bread
  14. jam — a tight spot
  15. pop — to visit
  16. board — a committee
  17. rest — a break
  18. rest — what's left
  19. trunk — of an elephant
  20. trunk — of a tree
  21. wind — moving air
  22. root — of a plant
  23. trunk — of a car
  24. wind — moving air

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