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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. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  2. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  3. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  4. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  5. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  6. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  7. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  8. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  9. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  10. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  11. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  12. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  13. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  14. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  15. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  16. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  17. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  18. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  19. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  20. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  21. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  22. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  23. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  24. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. board — to get on
  2. bowl — a dish
  3. root — of a word
  4. board — a committee
  5. root — the cause
  6. stick — to attach or keep to
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. hide — animal skin
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. net — after costs
  11. bowl — a football final
  12. scale — size or range
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. board — a flat piece
  15. bowl — to roll
  16. root — of a plant
  17. net — for catching
  18. net — in sport
  19. scale — in music
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. calf — of the leg
  22. scale — for weighing
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. calf — a young animal

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