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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. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  2. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  3. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  4. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  5. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  6. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  7. Did you ________________ the meat?
  8. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  9. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  10. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  11. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  12. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  13. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  14. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  15. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  16. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  17. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  18. The ball is in your ________________.
  19. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  20. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  21. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  22. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  23. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  24. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.

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

Answer key

  1. board — to get on
  2. staff — employees
  3. season — of the year
  4. season — in sport
  5. court — of a king
  6. board — a flat piece
  7. season — to add flavour
  8. board — a committee
  9. track — a path
  10. jam — to spread on bread
  11. bark — of a tree
  12. jam — a tight spot
  13. jam — in traffic
  14. root — the cause
  15. track — a song
  16. staff — employees
  17. root — of a word
  18. court — for sport
  19. root — of a plant
  20. track — to keep track
  21. bark — to shout
  22. bark — a dog's sound
  23. staff — a stick
  24. court — of law

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