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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. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  2. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  3. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  4. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  5. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  6. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  7. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  8. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  9. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  10. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  11. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  12. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  13. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  14. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  15. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  16. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  17. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  18. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  19. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  20. David sat on the ________________.
  21. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  22. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  23. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  24. The ball is in your ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. present — there
  2. board — a flat piece
  3. present — the time now
  4. bat — in an idiom
  5. swing — in golf
  6. board — a committee
  7. bat — for baseball
  8. lash — to lash out
  9. board — to get on
  10. root — of a plant
  11. lash — a whip stroke
  12. bat — the animal
  13. root — the cause
  14. present — a gift
  15. lash — an eyelash
  16. net — after costs
  17. net — for catching
  18. court — of law
  19. swing — music
  20. swing — to play on
  21. court — of a king
  22. root — of a word
  23. net — in sport
  24. court — for sport

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