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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. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  2. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  3. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  4. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  5. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  6. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  7. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  8. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  9. The ________________ went through the wall.
  10. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  11. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  12. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  13. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  14. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  15. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  16. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  17. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  18. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  19. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  20. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  21. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  22. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  23. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  24. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a hat
  2. board — to get on
  3. root — of a plant
  4. chest — a box
  5. chest — of your body
  6. fine — high quality
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. net — after costs
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. nail — on a finger
  11. cap — of ice
  12. board — a flat piece
  13. cap — a lid
  14. fine — a penalty
  15. fine — all right
  16. firm — steady
  17. chest — of your body
  18. board — a committee
  19. root — the cause
  20. net — in sport
  21. firm — a company
  22. firm — decided
  23. net — for catching
  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