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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. Have you settled on a ________________?
  2. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  3. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  4. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  5. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  6. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  7. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  8. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  9. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  10. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  11. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  12. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  13. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  14. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  15. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  16. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  17. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  18. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  19. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  20. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  21. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  22. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  23. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  24. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.

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

Answer key

  1. date — on the calendar
  2. board — to get on
  3. stem — of a plant
  4. board — a flat piece
  5. root — of a plant
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. race — a contest
  8. race — humankind
  9. mouse — for a computer
  10. root — of a word
  11. chair — to sit on
  12. board — a committee
  13. stem — to come from
  14. dip — to dunk
  15. race — the arms race
  16. root — the cause
  17. chair — a leader
  18. dip — a sauce
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. date — the fruit
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. chair — a professorship
  23. stem — a stem cell
  24. dip — to sink

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