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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 ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  2. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  3. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  4. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  5. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  6. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  7. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  8. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  9. Have you met the new head ________________?
  10. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  11. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  12. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  13. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  14. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  15. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  16. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  17. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  18. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  19. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  20. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  21. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  22. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  23. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  24. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a plant
  2. file — a line of people
  3. deal — to handle
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. deal — an agreement
  6. snap — to click
  7. snap — to speak sharply
  8. root — the cause
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. fine — all right
  11. snap — to snap out of it
  12. board — a committee
  13. fine — high quality
  14. board — to get on
  15. coach — pulled by horses
  16. deal — a big deal
  17. field — a subject
  18. fine — a penalty
  19. field — for sport
  20. file — a tool
  21. field — farmland
  22. board — a flat piece
  23. root — of a word
  24. file — a document

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