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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. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  2. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  3. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  4. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  5. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  6. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  7. There's no middle ________________.
  8. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  9. Where did you ________________ them?
  10. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  11. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  12. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  13. That must've been a ________________.
  14. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  15. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  16. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  17. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  18. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  19. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  20. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  21. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  22. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  23. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  24. What was your ________________ profit last year?

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

Answer key

  1. net — for catching
  2. board — a committee
  3. vault — a safe
  4. root — the cause
  5. wax — for sculpting
  6. root — of a word
  7. ground — a position
  8. ground — crushed
  9. mug — to rob
  10. vault — an arched ceiling
  11. root — of a plant
  12. wax — to grow
  13. rush — a thrill
  14. board — to get on
  15. board — a flat piece
  16. ground — the earth
  17. vault — in gymnastics
  18. mug — a face
  19. wax — in the ear
  20. mug — a cup
  21. rush — hurry
  22. net — in sport
  23. rush — to hurry
  24. net — after costs

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