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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. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  2. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  3. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  4. My father caught me by the ________________.
  5. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  6. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  7. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  8. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  9. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  10. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  11. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  12. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  13. Where did you ________________ them?
  14. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  15. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  16. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  17. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  18. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  19. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  20. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  21. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  22. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  23. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  24. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a flat piece
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. board — a committee
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. field — farmland
  6. mug — a cup
  7. root — of a word
  8. root — the cause
  9. mug — a face
  10. board — to get on
  11. root — of a plant
  12. spring — of water
  13. mug — to rob
  14. field — a subject
  15. firm — a company
  16. arm — a part of something
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. spring — a coil
  19. spring — the season
  20. firm — decided
  21. field — for sport
  22. firm — steady
  23. fan — to cool the air
  24. fan — a supporter

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