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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 116 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. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  3. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  4. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  5. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  6. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  7. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  8. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  9. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  10. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  11. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  12. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  13. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  14. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  15. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  16. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  17. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  18. He is an ace ________________.
  19. David sat on the ________________.
  20. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  21. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  22. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  23. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  24. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a flat piece
  2. scale — in music
  3. squash — to crush
  4. squash — the sport
  5. bear — the animal
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. board — a committee
  9. root — the cause
  10. root — of a plant
  11. root — of a word
  12. board — to get on
  13. squash — the vegetable
  14. bear — the animal
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. scale — for weighing
  17. bear — to put up with
  18. pitcher — in baseball
  19. swing — to play on
  20. fan — to cool the air
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. swing — music
  23. swing — in golf
  24. scale — size or range

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