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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. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  2. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  3. That must've been a ________________.
  4. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  5. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  6. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  7. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  8. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  9. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  10. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  11. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  12. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  13. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  14. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  15. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  16. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  17. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  18. I'll be taking the ________________.
  19. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  20. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  21. He is an ace ________________.
  22. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  23. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  24. You shouldn't ________________ things.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for golf
  2. root — of a word
  3. rush — a thrill
  4. safe — a strongbox
  5. root — the cause
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. tube — in a tire
  8. rush — hurry
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. board — a committee
  11. trunk — of an elephant
  12. club — for dancing
  13. board — a flat piece
  14. root — of a plant
  15. board — to get on
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. trunk — of a tree
  18. tube — the underground
  19. tube — a container
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. pitcher — in baseball
  22. club — a group
  23. trunk — of a car
  24. rush — to hurry

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