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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. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  2. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  3. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  4. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  5. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  6. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  7. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  8. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  9. There's no middle ________________.
  10. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  11. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  12. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  13. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  14. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  15. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  16. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  17. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  18. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  19. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  20. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  21. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  22. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  23. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  24. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.

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

Answer key

  1. board — to get on
  2. jam — in traffic
  3. board — a committee
  4. root — the cause
  5. chest — a box
  6. chest — of your body
  7. ground — crushed
  8. kid — child
  9. ground — a position
  10. jam — to spread on bread
  11. cap — of ice
  12. ground — the earth
  13. jam — a tight spot
  14. rest — what's left
  15. root — of a word
  16. root — of a plant
  17. chest — of your body
  18. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  19. rest — a break
  20. board — a flat piece
  21. cap — a lid
  22. cap — a hat
  23. rest — what's left
  24. kid — to tease

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