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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 a dandelion is edible, too.
  3. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  4. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  5. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  6. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  7. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  8. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  9. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  10. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  11. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  12. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  13. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  14. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  15. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  16. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  17. The tickets are free of ________________.
  18. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  19. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  20. How do you ________________ your surname?
  21. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  22. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  23. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  24. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.

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 plant
  3. drill — a practice
  4. field — farmland
  5. board — a flat piece
  6. wave — of the sea
  7. stem — to come from
  8. drill — army training
  9. board — to get on
  10. charge — in control
  11. charge — electricity
  12. stem — a stem cell
  13. wave — a sudden rise
  14. spell — a short time
  15. field — for sport
  16. wave — with your hand
  17. charge — a price
  18. drill — the tool
  19. spell — magic
  20. spell — letters
  21. stem — of a plant
  22. field — a subject
  23. root — the cause
  24. root — of a word

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