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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 120 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. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  2. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  3. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  4. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  5. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  6. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  7. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  8. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  9. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  10. Have you met the new head ________________?
  11. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  12. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  13. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  14. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  15. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  16. The King held a masked ________________.
  17. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  18. The ________________ market has crashed.
  19. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  20. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  21. This piece is in a major ________________.
  22. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  23. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  24. Hard work is the ________________ to success.

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

Answer key

  1. present — there
  2. root — of a word
  3. stock — goods
  4. present — a gift
  5. coach — pulled by horses
  6. board — to get on
  7. stock — a soup base
  8. pitch — a sales talk
  9. root — of a plant
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. ball — a great time
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. root — the cause
  14. pitch — completely
  15. present — the time now
  16. ball — a dance
  17. board — a committee
  18. stock — shares
  19. board — a flat piece
  20. key — for a lock
  21. key — in music
  22. ball — a round shape
  23. pitch — a sports field
  24. key — the most important part

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