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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. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  2. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  3. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  4. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  5. The ________________ went through the wall.
  6. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  7. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  8. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  9. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  10. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  11. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  12. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  13. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  14. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  15. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  16. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  17. We're almost out of ________________.
  18. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  19. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  20. When will it ________________ you to start?
  21. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  22. You don't need to ________________ round.
  23. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  24. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a committee
  2. pop — music
  3. board — to get on
  4. board — a flat piece
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. content — the amount
  8. content — happy
  9. pound — a weight
  10. pound — for dogs
  11. root — of a word
  12. suit — in cards
  13. pound — to hit hard
  14. content — videos and posts
  15. hand — in cards
  16. nail — on a finger
  17. pop — soda
  18. suit — clothes
  19. hand — help
  20. suit — to fit
  21. hand — part of the body
  22. pop — to visit
  23. root — the cause
  24. root — of a plant

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