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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. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  2. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  3. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  4. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  5. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  6. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  7. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  8. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  9. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  10. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  11. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  12. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  13. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  14. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  15. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  16. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  17. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  18. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  19. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  20. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  21. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  22. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  23. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  24. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a car
  2. board — a flat piece
  3. can — to be able to
  4. root — of a word
  5. trunk — of an elephant
  6. spring — of water
  7. trunk — of a tree
  8. board — a committee
  9. root — the cause
  10. foot — the bottom
  11. spring — a coil
  12. bark — a dog's sound
  13. root — of a plant
  14. staff — employees
  15. board — to get on
  16. can — a tin
  17. foot — part of the body
  18. foot — a measure
  19. staff — a stick
  20. can — a tin
  21. bark — to shout
  22. spring — the season
  23. staff — employees
  24. bark — of a tree

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