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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. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  2. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  3. The King held a masked ________________.
  4. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  5. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  6. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  7. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  8. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  9. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  10. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  11. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  12. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  13. When was this ________________ built?
  14. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  15. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  16. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  17. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  18. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  19. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  20. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  21. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  22. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  23. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  24. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a committee
  2. root — of a plant
  3. ball — a dance
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. ball — a great time
  6. bore — to tire
  7. bore — to drill
  8. temple — side of the head
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. root — the cause
  11. board — a flat piece
  12. club — a group
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. root — of a word
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. ball — a round shape
  17. board — to get on
  18. club — for golf
  19. club — for dancing
  20. rest — what's left
  21. bore — gave birth
  22. rest — what's left
  23. rest — a break
  24. racket — a loud noise

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