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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. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  2. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  3. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  4. How do you ________________ your surname?
  5. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  6. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  7. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  8. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  9. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  10. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  11. He is an ace ________________.
  12. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  13. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  14. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  15. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  16. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  17. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  18. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  19. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  20. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  21. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  22. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  23. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  24. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — of the leg
  2. root — of a word
  3. deal — an agreement
  4. spell — letters
  5. trunk — of an elephant
  6. chair — a leader
  7. root — the cause
  8. chair — to sit on
  9. trunk — of a car
  10. spell — magic
  11. pitcher — in baseball
  12. trunk — of a tree
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. deal — a big deal
  15. root — of a plant
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. board — to get on
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. board — a flat piece
  21. chair — a professorship
  22. deal — to handle
  23. spell — a short time
  24. board — a committee

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