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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 124 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. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  2. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  3. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  4. I'll be taking the ________________.
  5. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  6. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  7. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  8. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  9. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  10. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  11. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  12. That was ________________ to happen.
  13. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  14. When was this ________________ built?
  15. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  16. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  17. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  18. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  19. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  20. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  21. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  22. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  23. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  24. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a flat piece
  2. tube — a container
  3. board — a committee
  4. tube — the underground
  5. root — the cause
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. wave — with your hand
  8. chair — a leader
  9. craft — a handicraft
  10. board — to get on
  11. temple — side of the head
  12. bound — certain
  13. bound — obliged
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. tube — in a tire
  16. root — of a plant
  17. bound — tied together
  18. wave — a sudden rise
  19. craft — boats
  20. root — of a word
  21. chair — a professorship
  22. chair — to sit on
  23. wave — of the sea
  24. craft — a skill

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