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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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: chest · stand · root · jam · rule · game · prune · board

  1. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  2. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  3. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  4. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  5. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  6. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  7. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  8. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  9. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  10. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  11. That was a fun ________________.
  12. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  13. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  14. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  15. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  16. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  17. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  18. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  19. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  20. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  21. I can't ________________ this cold.
  22. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  23. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  24. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.

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

Answer key

  1. root — the cause
  2. jam — to spread on bread
  3. board — a flat piece
  4. chest — of your body
  5. rule — to rule out
  6. root — of a plant
  7. game — a kind of play
  8. jam — a tight spot
  9. board — to get on
  10. prune — to trim
  11. game — a match
  12. game — wild animals
  13. rule — government
  14. prune — to trim
  15. board — a committee
  16. jam — in traffic
  17. root — of a word
  18. stand — for spectators
  19. rule — a law
  20. chest — of your body
  21. stand — to bear
  22. prune — the fruit
  23. chest — a box
  24. stand — on your feet

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