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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 116 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 had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  2. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  3. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  4. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  5. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  6. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  7. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  8. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  9. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  10. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  11. That was ________________ to happen.
  12. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  13. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  14. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  15. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  16. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  17. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  18. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  19. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  20. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  21. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  22. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  23. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  24. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — child
  2. root — of a plant
  3. board — to get on
  4. board — a flat piece
  5. bound — obliged
  6. scale — size or range
  7. scale — in music
  8. track — a song
  9. pass — a permit
  10. pass — to succeed
  11. bound — certain
  12. scale — for weighing
  13. track — to keep track
  14. pass — to spend time
  15. root — the cause
  16. fall — the season
  17. track — a path
  18. root — of a word
  19. fall — to drop
  20. board — a committee
  21. fall — to drop
  22. bound — tied together
  23. kid — to tease
  24. kid — young goat (kid gloves)

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