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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. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  2. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  3. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  4. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  5. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  6. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  7. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  8. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  9. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  10. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  11. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  12. The ________________ went through the wall.
  13. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  14. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  15. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  16. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  17. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  18. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  19. I've got to change the light ________________.
  20. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  21. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  22. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  23. The light ________________ burned out.
  24. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. capital — a city
  3. board — a committee
  4. root — of a word
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. nail — on a finger
  7. bulb — of a plant
  8. root — of a plant
  9. capital — a big letter
  10. root — the cause
  11. perch — the fish
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. capital — money
  14. straw — a straw man
  15. board — to get on
  16. straw — dry grass
  17. straw — to clutch at straws
  18. board — a flat piece
  19. bulb — for light
  20. club — a group
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. club — for golf
  23. bulb — for light
  24. club — for dancing

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