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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. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  2. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  3. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  4. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  5. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  6. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  7. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  8. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  9. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  10. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  11. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  12. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  13. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  14. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  15. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  16. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  17. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  18. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  19. Have you met the new head ________________?
  20. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  21. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  22. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  23. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  24. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a plant
  2. bass — low music
  3. root — of a word
  4. hand — help
  5. clip — for paper
  6. hand — in cards
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. bass — the fish
  9. bass — the instrument
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. coach — pulled by horses
  12. rule — to rule out
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. clip — a video
  15. board — a flat piece
  16. rule — a law
  17. hand — part of the body
  18. board — to get on
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. root — the cause
  21. clip — to cut
  22. stick — to attach or keep to
  23. board — a committee
  24. rule — government

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