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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 116 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. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  2. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  3. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  4. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  5. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  6. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  7. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  8. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  9. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  10. I can't ________________ this cold.
  11. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  12. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  13. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  14. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  15. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  16. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  17. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  18. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  19. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  20. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  21. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  22. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  23. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  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. board — a flat piece
  2. board — to get on
  3. cap — of ice
  4. net — after costs
  5. pass — to spend time
  6. net — in sport
  7. pass — to succeed
  8. root — of a plant
  9. pass — a permit
  10. stand — to bear
  11. root — the cause
  12. net — for catching
  13. root — of a word
  14. cap — a lid
  15. cap — a hat
  16. snap — to click
  17. snap — to speak sharply
  18. stand — for spectators
  19. snap — to snap out of it
  20. band — a music group
  21. band — a rubber band
  22. band — a ring
  23. stand — on your feet
  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