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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. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  2. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  3. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  4. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  5. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  6. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  7. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  8. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  9. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  10. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  11. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  12. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  13. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  14. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  15. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  16. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  17. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  18. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  19. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  20. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  21. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  22. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  23. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  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. present — a gift
  2. fine — a penalty
  3. board — to get on
  4. deal — to handle
  5. bowl — a dish
  6. root — of a plant
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. board — a committee
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. board — a flat piece
  11. deal — an agreement
  12. fine — all right
  13. bowl — a football final
  14. mine — belonging to me
  15. mine — for digging
  16. fine — high quality
  17. mine — an explosive
  18. deal — a big deal
  19. root — of a word
  20. present — there
  21. present — the time now
  22. safe — a strongbox
  23. bowl — to roll
  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