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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. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  2. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  3. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  4. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  5. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  6. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  7. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  8. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  9. My father caught me by the ________________.
  10. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  11. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  12. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  13. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  14. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  15. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  16. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  17. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  18. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  19. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  20. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  21. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  22. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  23. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  24. He was locked up in a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. root — the cause
  2. club — for golf
  3. club — for dancing
  4. board — a flat piece
  5. racket — a loud noise
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. clip — for paper
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. current — happening now
  11. board — to get on
  12. current — electric
  13. root — of a word
  14. cell — in biology
  15. club — a group
  16. current — of water
  17. clip — to cut
  18. arm — a part of something
  19. root — of a plant
  20. cell — a phone
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. clip — a video
  23. board — a committee
  24. cell — in a prison

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