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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. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  2. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  3. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  4. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  5. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  6. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  7. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  8. It's one o'clock ________________.
  9. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  10. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  11. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  12. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  13. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  14. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  15. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  16. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  17. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  18. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  19. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  20. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  21. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  22. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  23. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  24. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a committee
  2. sharp — with an edge
  3. root — the cause
  4. board — a flat piece
  5. safe — a strongbox
  6. object — a thing
  7. net — in sport
  8. sharp — exactly
  9. net — for catching
  10. board — to get on
  11. march — the month
  12. sharp — clever
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. root — of a plant
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. object — to protest
  17. root — of a word
  18. net — after costs
  19. march — the month
  20. march — music
  21. band — a music group
  22. band — a rubber band
  23. band — a ring
  24. object — an aim

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