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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. David sat on the ________________.
  3. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  4. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  5. The ball is in your ________________.
  6. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  7. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  8. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  9. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  10. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  11. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  12. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  13. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  14. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  15. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  16. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  17. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  18. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  19. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  20. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  21. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  22. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  23. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  24. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a word
  2. swing — to play on
  3. chip — for betting
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. court — for sport
  6. board — a committee
  7. pound — a weight
  8. root — of a plant
  9. swing — in golf
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. board — a flat piece
  12. board — to get on
  13. racket — a loud noise
  14. pound — for dogs
  15. court — of law
  16. chip — to eat
  17. pound — to hit hard
  18. swing — music
  19. bank — for money
  20. root — the cause
  21. bank — of a river
  22. bank — for money
  23. chip — in a computer
  24. court — of a king

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