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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 120 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. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  3. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  4. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  5. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  6. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  7. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  8. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  9. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  10. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  11. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  12. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  13. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  14. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  15. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  16. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  17. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  18. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  19. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  20. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  21. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  22. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  23. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  24. Recycle the empty soda ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. board — to get on
  2. root — the cause
  3. band — a music group
  4. can — to be able to
  5. can — a tin
  6. branch — of a tree
  7. band — a ring
  8. root — of a word
  9. board — a committee
  10. pit — a hole
  11. mark — to pay attention
  12. pit — a fruit stone
  13. root — of a plant
  14. mine — an explosive
  15. pit — in a race
  16. mark — a trace
  17. mine — belonging to me
  18. branch — of a bank
  19. mine — for digging
  20. branch — a division
  21. board — a flat piece
  22. mark — a grade
  23. band — a rubber band
  24. can — a tin

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