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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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Word bank
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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: root · board · pitcher · rule · safe · bat · face · chip

  1. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  2. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  3. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  4. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  5. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  6. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  7. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  8. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  9. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  10. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  11. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  12. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  13. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  14. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  15. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  16. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  17. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  18. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  19. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  20. He is an ace ________________.
  21. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  22. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  23. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  24. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to confront
  2. board — a committee
  3. root — the cause
  4. bat — in an idiom
  5. rule — a law
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. safe — a strongbox
  8. root — of a word
  9. chip — in a computer
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. board — to get on
  13. rule — to rule out
  14. board — a flat piece
  15. root — of a plant
  16. face — part of the head
  17. bat — the animal
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. bat — for baseball
  20. pitcher — in baseball
  21. chip — for betting
  22. rule — government
  23. face — to point toward
  24. chip — to eat

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