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

Word bank: board · racket · safe · bay · chip · stem · pitch · root

  1. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  2. My mare is ________________ in color.
  3. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  4. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  5. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  6. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  7. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  8. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  9. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  10. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  11. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  12. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  13. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  14. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  15. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  16. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  17. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  18. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  19. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  20. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  21. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  22. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  23. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  24. He has no idea where the ________________ is.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a committee
  2. bay — a horse colour
  3. board — a flat piece
  4. pitch — completely
  5. racket — a loud noise
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. chip — in a computer
  9. root — of a plant
  10. chip — to eat
  11. board — to get on
  12. stem — a stem cell
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. stem — to come from
  15. root — of a word
  16. root — the cause
  17. bay — to keep at bay
  18. bay — a part of the sea
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. stem — of a plant
  21. pitch — a sports field
  22. chip — for betting
  23. pitch — a sales talk
  24. safe — a strongbox

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