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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. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  2. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  3. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  4. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  5. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  6. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  7. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  8. He is an ace ________________.
  9. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  10. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  11. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  12. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  13. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  14. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  15. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  16. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  17. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  18. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  19. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  20. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  21. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  22. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  23. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  24. Would you like some apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. board — to get on
  2. band — a ring
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. board — a committee
  5. root — the cause
  6. wake — a trail
  7. jam — in traffic
  8. pitcher — in baseball
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. jam — a tight spot
  11. lean — to rest against
  12. board — a flat piece
  13. stem — a stem cell
  14. root — of a word
  15. wake — before a funeral
  16. lean — thin
  17. band — a music group
  18. root — of a plant
  19. stem — of a plant
  20. lean — to bend
  21. stem — to come from
  22. band — a rubber band
  23. wake — to stop sleeping
  24. jam — to spread on bread

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