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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 ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  2. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  3. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  4. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  5. Have you met the new head ________________?
  6. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  7. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  8. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  9. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  10. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  11. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  12. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  13. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  14. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  15. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  16. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  17. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  18. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  19. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  20. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  21. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  22. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  23. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  24. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — for baseball
  2. bat — in an idiom
  3. bat — the animal
  4. root — the cause
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. fan — to cool the air
  7. trunk — of an elephant
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. board — to get on
  10. scale — in music
  11. rule — a law
  12. scale — size or range
  13. root — of a plant
  14. board — a committee
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. rule — government
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. root — of a word
  19. board — a flat piece
  20. coach — pulled by horses
  21. scale — for weighing
  22. rule — to rule out
  23. trunk — of a car
  24. trunk — 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