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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. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  2. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  3. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  4. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  5. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  6. When was this ________________ built?
  7. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  8. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  9. The ________________ market has crashed.
  10. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  11. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  12. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  13. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  14. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  15. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  16. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  17. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  18. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  19. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  20. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  21. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  22. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  23. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  24. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — in cards
  2. temple — side of the head
  3. lean — thin
  4. stock — a soup base
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. root — the cause
  9. stock — shares
  10. board — a flat piece
  11. root — of a plant
  12. lean — to rest against
  13. lean — to bend
  14. fan — to cool the air
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. root — of a word
  17. racket — a loud noise
  18. board — to get on
  19. hand — help
  20. hand — part of the body
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. board — a committee
  24. stock — goods

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