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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. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  2. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  3. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  4. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  5. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  6. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  7. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  8. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  9. Don't do anything ________________.
  10. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  11. That must've been a ________________.
  12. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  13. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  14. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  15. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  16. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  17. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  18. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  19. The King held a masked ________________.
  20. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  21. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  22. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  23. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  24. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a committee
  2. root — of a word
  3. rash — on the skin
  4. board — a flat piece
  5. bass — the fish
  6. pound — for dogs
  7. board — to get on
  8. bass — low music
  9. rash — hasty
  10. rush — hurry
  11. rush — a thrill
  12. wax — to grow
  13. ball — a round shape
  14. pound — to hit hard
  15. wax — for sculpting
  16. bass — the instrument
  17. ball — a great time
  18. root — the cause
  19. ball — a dance
  20. rash — a series
  21. rush — to hurry
  22. root — of a plant
  23. wax — in the ear
  24. pound — a weight

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