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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 play ________________ in a jazz band.
  2. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  3. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  4. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  5. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  6. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  7. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  8. Don't do anything ________________.
  9. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  10. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  11. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  12. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  13. This piece is in a major ________________.
  14. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  15. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  16. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  17. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  18. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  19. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  20. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  21. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  22. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  23. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  24. I have a corn on my right ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the instrument
  2. board — to get on
  3. cap — a hat
  4. foot — the bottom
  5. board — a committee
  6. root — the cause
  7. cap — a lid
  8. rash — hasty
  9. cap — of ice
  10. pit — a hole
  11. bass — low music
  12. rash — on the skin
  13. key — in music
  14. foot — a measure
  15. pit — in a race
  16. key — for a lock
  17. key — the most important part
  18. bass — the fish
  19. root — of a plant
  20. board — a flat piece
  21. pit — a fruit stone
  22. rash — a series
  23. root — of a word
  24. foot — part of the body

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