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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. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  2. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  3. She's very handy with a ________________.
  4. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  5. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  6. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  7. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  8. He works in a ________________ mill.
  9. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  10. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  11. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  12. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  13. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  14. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  15. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  16. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  17. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  18. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  19. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  20. That was ________________ to happen.
  21. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  22. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  23. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  24. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a word
  2. board — a committee
  3. saw — the tool
  4. board — to get on
  5. cue — for pool
  6. cue — a signal
  7. file — a document
  8. saw — the tool
  9. bound — tied together
  10. file — a tool
  11. cap — a hat
  12. root — of a plant
  13. cue — a hint
  14. cap — a lid
  15. pitch — a sales talk
  16. board — a flat piece
  17. cap — of ice
  18. file — a line of people
  19. pitch — completely
  20. bound — certain
  21. bound — obliged
  22. pitch — a sports field
  23. root — the cause
  24. saw — past of 'see'

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