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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. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  2. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  3. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  4. The ________________ went through the wall.
  5. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  6. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  7. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  8. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  9. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  10. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  11. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  12. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  13. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  14. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  15. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  16. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  17. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  18. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  19. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  20. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  21. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  22. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  23. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  24. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — on a finger
  2. bat — the animal
  3. staff — a stick
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. root — the cause
  6. object — to protest
  7. toast — the most admired
  8. board — to get on
  9. capital — a big letter
  10. board — a committee
  11. toast — a drink to someone
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. bat — in an idiom
  14. root — of a plant
  15. board — a flat piece
  16. bat — for baseball
  17. capital — money
  18. root — of a word
  19. object — a thing
  20. toast — bread
  21. object — an aim
  22. staff — employees
  23. capital — a city
  24. staff — employees

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