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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. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  2. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  3. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  4. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  5. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  6. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  7. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  8. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  9. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  10. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  11. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  12. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  13. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  14. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  15. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  16. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  17. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  18. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  19. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  20. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  21. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  22. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  23. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  24. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — a practice
  2. present — there
  3. bear — to put up with
  4. root — of a plant
  5. board — a committee
  6. net — in sport
  7. wind — moving air
  8. cue — a hint
  9. net — after costs
  10. drill — the tool
  11. cue — for pool
  12. root — of a word
  13. bear — the animal
  14. bear — the animal
  15. wind — moving air
  16. drill — army training
  17. board — a flat piece
  18. present — the time now
  19. wind — to turn a key
  20. board — to get on
  21. net — for catching
  22. present — a gift
  23. root — the cause
  24. cue — a signal

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