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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: board · content · race · kick · tube · fork · root · fine

  1. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  2. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  3. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  4. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  5. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  6. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  7. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  8. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  9. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  10. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  11. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  12. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  13. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  14. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  15. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  16. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  17. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  18. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  19. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  20. I'll be taking the ________________.
  21. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  22. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  23. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  24. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.

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

Answer key

  1. board — to get on
  2. fine — high quality
  3. fine — a penalty
  4. content — videos and posts
  5. content — the amount
  6. race — the arms race
  7. root — the cause
  8. tube — in a tire
  9. board — a committee
  10. race — humankind
  11. kick — with a leg
  12. kick — a thrill
  13. fork — a garden tool
  14. content — happy
  15. tube — a container
  16. board — a flat piece
  17. root — of a plant
  18. fork — to eat with
  19. kick — in football
  20. tube — the underground
  21. fine — all right
  22. fork — in a road
  23. race — a contest
  24. root — of a word

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