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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. David sat on the ________________.
  2. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  3. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  4. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  5. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  6. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  7. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  8. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  9. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  10. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  11. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  12. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  13. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  14. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  15. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  16. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  17. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  18. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  19. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  20. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  21. When will it ________________ you to start?
  22. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  23. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  24. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — to play on
  2. trunk — of a car
  3. board — a committee
  4. suit — in cards
  5. trunk — of an elephant
  6. swing — music
  7. board — a flat piece
  8. stem — a stem cell
  9. stem — of a plant
  10. root — the cause
  11. board — to get on
  12. trunk — of a tree
  13. root — of a plant
  14. degree — temperature
  15. degree — from a university
  16. bat — the animal
  17. suit — clothes
  18. root — of a word
  19. degree — an amount
  20. bat — for baseball
  21. suit — to fit
  22. bat — in an idiom
  23. stem — to come from
  24. swing — in golf

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