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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. It's one o'clock ________________.
  2. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  3. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  4. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  5. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  6. David sat on the ________________.
  7. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  8. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  9. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  10. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  11. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  12. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  13. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  14. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  15. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  16. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  17. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  18. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  19. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  20. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  21. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  22. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  23. The ball is in your ________________.
  24. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — exactly
  2. root — the cause
  3. club — for dancing
  4. band — a ring
  5. root — of a word
  6. swing — to play on
  7. root — of a plant
  8. board — to get on
  9. club — a group
  10. kick — in football
  11. sharp — with an edge
  12. sharp — clever
  13. band — a rubber band
  14. court — of law
  15. club — for golf
  16. board — a flat piece
  17. court — of a king
  18. kick — with a leg
  19. kick — a thrill
  20. swing — in golf
  21. band — a music group
  22. swing — music
  23. court — for sport
  24. board — a committee

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