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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 office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  2. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  3. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  4. You don't need to ________________ round.
  5. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  6. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  7. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  8. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  9. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  10. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  11. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  12. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  13. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  14. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  15. Don't do anything ________________.
  16. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  17. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  18. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  19. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  20. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  21. We're almost out of ________________.
  22. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  23. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  24. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. staff — employees
  3. rash — on the skin
  4. pop — to visit
  5. rock — music
  6. board — a flat piece
  7. rash — a series
  8. root — of a word
  9. rock — to move gently
  10. staff — a stick
  11. stick — to attach or keep to
  12. present — there
  13. pop — music
  14. present — a gift
  15. rash — hasty
  16. present — the time now
  17. root — the cause
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. board — a committee
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. pop — soda
  22. board — to get on
  23. rock — a stone
  24. root — of a plant

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