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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 · foot · root · arm · straw · track · stick · mate

  1. Have you found your soul ________________?
  2. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  3. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  4. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  5. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  6. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  7. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  8. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  9. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  10. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  11. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  12. My father caught me by the ________________.
  13. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  14. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  15. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  16. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  17. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  18. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  19. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  20. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  21. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  22. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  23. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  24. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a partner
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. stick — to attach or keep to
  4. mate — a friend
  5. board — a committee
  6. root — the cause
  7. straw — to clutch at straws
  8. root — of a word
  9. foot — part of the body
  10. track — to keep track
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. foot — a measure
  14. straw — dry grass
  15. track — a path
  16. root — of a plant
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. arm — a part of something
  19. track — a song
  20. foot — the bottom
  21. board — to get on
  22. mate — to breed
  23. board — a flat piece
  24. straw — a straw man

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