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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 116 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. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  2. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  3. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  4. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  5. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  6. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  7. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  8. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  9. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  10. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  11. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  12. Have you met the new head ________________?
  13. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  14. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  15. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  16. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  17. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  18. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  19. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  20. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  21. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  22. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  23. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  24. The old man leaned on his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. board — to get on
  2. staff — employees
  3. coach — pulled by horses
  4. staff — employees
  5. vault — an arched ceiling
  6. squash — the sport
  7. bass — low music
  8. bass — the instrument
  9. bat — the animal
  10. root — of a word
  11. bat — in an idiom
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. vault — a safe
  14. bass — the fish
  15. vault — in gymnastics
  16. bat — for baseball
  17. board — a committee
  18. root — the cause
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. root — of a plant
  21. squash — the vegetable
  22. squash — to crush
  23. board — a flat piece
  24. staff — a stick

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