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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 120 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. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  2. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  3. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  4. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  5. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  6. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  7. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  8. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  9. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  10. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  11. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  12. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  13. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  14. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  15. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  16. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  17. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  18. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  19. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  20. Did you ________________ the meat?
  21. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  22. Where did you ________________ them?
  23. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  24. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a face
  2. foot — part of the body
  3. foot — a measure
  4. chair — a leader
  5. pass — a permit
  6. season — in sport
  7. chair — a professorship
  8. root — of a word
  9. season — of the year
  10. root — of a plant
  11. wind — moving air
  12. pass — to spend time
  13. mug — a cup
  14. wind — moving air
  15. board — a flat piece
  16. board — to get on
  17. board — a committee
  18. wind — to turn a key
  19. foot — the bottom
  20. season — to add flavour
  21. pass — to succeed
  22. mug — to rob
  23. chair — to sit on
  24. root — the cause

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