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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. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  2. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  3. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  4. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  5. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  6. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  7. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  8. How do you ________________ your surname?
  9. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  10. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  11. There's no middle ________________.
  12. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  13. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  14. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  15. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  16. Did you ________________ the meat?
  17. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  18. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  19. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  20. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  21. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  22. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  23. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  24. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — crushed
  2. board — a committee
  3. ground — the earth
  4. root — of a plant
  5. object — to protest
  6. root — the cause
  7. club — for dancing
  8. spell — letters
  9. object — an aim
  10. board — a flat piece
  11. ground — a position
  12. toast — bread
  13. toast — the most admired
  14. root — of a word
  15. season — in sport
  16. season — to add flavour
  17. board — to get on
  18. spell — a short time
  19. toast — a drink to someone
  20. object — a thing
  21. season — of the year
  22. spell — magic
  23. club — a group
  24. club — for golf

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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