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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. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  2. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  3. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  4. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  5. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  6. I can't ________________ this cold.
  7. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  8. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  9. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  10. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  11. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  12. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  13. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  14. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  15. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  16. It's one o'clock ________________.
  17. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  18. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  19. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  20. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  21. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  22. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  23. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  24. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a word
  2. racket — a loud noise
  3. staff — employees
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. board — a committee
  6. stand — to bear
  7. march — the month
  8. board — to get on
  9. staff — employees
  10. root — of a plant
  11. sharp — clever
  12. sharp — with an edge
  13. race — a contest
  14. march — the month
  15. race — humankind
  16. sharp — exactly
  17. root — the cause
  18. staff — a stick
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. stand — for spectators
  21. board — a flat piece
  22. stand — on your feet
  23. march — music
  24. race — the arms race

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