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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 124 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. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  2. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  3. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  4. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  5. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  6. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  7. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  8. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  9. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  10. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  11. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  12. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  13. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  14. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  15. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  16. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  17. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  18. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  19. The ________________ went through the wall.
  20. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  21. The King held a masked ________________.
  22. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  23. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  24. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — a coil
  2. board — a flat piece
  3. board — to get on
  4. ball — a round shape
  5. root — of a plant
  6. root — of a word
  7. nail — on a finger
  8. mouse — for a computer
  9. root — the cause
  10. row — a quarrel
  11. row — a line
  12. content — videos and posts
  13. board — a committee
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. spring — the season
  16. content — the amount
  17. spring — of water
  18. ball — a great time
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. ball — a dance
  22. content — happy
  23. row — to paddle
  24. mouse — the animal

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