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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. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  2. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  3. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  4. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  5. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  6. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  7. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  8. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  9. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  10. She's very handy with a ________________.
  11. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  12. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  13. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  14. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  15. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  16. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  17. He works in a ________________ mill.
  18. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  19. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  20. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  21. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  22. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  23. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  24. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — past of 'see'
  2. dip — to dunk
  3. dip — to sink
  4. board — a flat piece
  5. staff — a stick
  6. track — a path
  7. straw — to clutch at straws
  8. root — of a plant
  9. track — a song
  10. saw — the tool
  11. staff — employees
  12. straw — dry grass
  13. root — of a word
  14. root — the cause
  15. racket — a loud noise
  16. track — to keep track
  17. saw — the tool
  18. staff — employees
  19. dip — a sauce
  20. board — to get on
  21. board — a committee
  22. straw — a straw man
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. racket — for tennis

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