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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. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  2. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  3. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  4. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  5. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  6. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  7. The ________________ market has crashed.
  8. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  9. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  10. That was ________________ to happen.
  11. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  12. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  13. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  14. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  15. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  16. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  17. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  18. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  19. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  20. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  21. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  22. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  23. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  24. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.

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

Answer key

  1. root — the cause
  2. board — a committee
  3. bound — tied together
  4. bass — low music
  5. mine — an explosive
  6. bass — the fish
  7. stock — shares
  8. bass — the instrument
  9. firm — steady
  10. bound — certain
  11. bound — obliged
  12. stock — goods
  13. mine — for digging
  14. firm — a company
  15. stock — a soup base
  16. board — a flat piece
  17. clip — a video
  18. clip — for paper
  19. board — to get on
  20. clip — to cut
  21. firm — decided
  22. root — of a word
  23. mine — belonging to me
  24. root — of a plant

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