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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 116 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. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  2. I'll be taking the ________________.
  3. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  4. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  5. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  6. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  7. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  8. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  9. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  10. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  11. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  12. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  13. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  14. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  15. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  16. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  17. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  18. That must've been a ________________.
  19. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  20. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  21. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  22. Don't do anything ________________.
  23. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  24. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a committee
  2. tube — the underground
  3. root — of a word
  4. object — an aim
  5. object — a thing
  6. board — a flat piece
  7. tube — in a tire
  8. board — to get on
  9. tube — a container
  10. net — after costs
  11. net — for catching
  12. root — of a plant
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. racket — a loud noise
  15. rush — hurry
  16. rush — to hurry
  17. rash — a series
  18. rush — a thrill
  19. net — in sport
  20. root — the cause
  21. object — to protest
  22. rash — hasty
  23. rash — on the skin
  24. racket — for tennis

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