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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. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  2. He is an ace ________________.
  3. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  4. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  5. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  6. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  7. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  8. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  9. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  10. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  11. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  12. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  13. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  14. Have you settled on a ________________?
  15. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  16. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  17. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  18. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  19. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  20. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  21. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  22. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  23. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  24. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. board — a committee
  2. pitcher — in baseball
  3. straw — dry grass
  4. fall — to drop
  5. degree — temperature
  6. board — a flat piece
  7. date — the fruit
  8. degree — from a university
  9. fall — to drop
  10. leaves — of a tree
  11. fall — the season
  12. root — of a word
  13. root — of a plant
  14. date — on the calendar
  15. straw — to clutch at straws
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. leaves — to go away
  18. leaves — lets stay
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. degree — an amount
  21. straw — a straw man
  22. board — to get on
  23. root — the cause
  24. date — on the calendar

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