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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. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  2. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  3. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  4. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  5. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  6. How do you ________________ your surname?
  7. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  8. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  9. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  10. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  11. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  12. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  13. The ________________ market has crashed.
  14. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  15. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  16. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  17. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  18. Have you settled on a ________________?
  19. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  20. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  21. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  22. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  23. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  24. The ________________ took off on time.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. date — on the calendar
  3. board — a committee
  4. stock — a soup base
  5. root — of a word
  6. spell — letters
  7. plane — in geometry
  8. board — a flat piece
  9. date — the fruit
  10. fall — to drop
  11. fall — the season
  12. root — of a plant
  13. stock — shares
  14. spell — magic
  15. stock — goods
  16. staff — employees
  17. root — the cause
  18. date — on the calendar
  19. fall — to drop
  20. spell — a short time
  21. staff — a stick
  22. plane — a tool
  23. board — to get on
  24. plane — an aircraft

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