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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: root · face · board · racket · club · bore · capital · tear

  1. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  2. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  3. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  4. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  5. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  6. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  7. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  8. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  9. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  10. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  11. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  12. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  13. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  14. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  15. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  16. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  17. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  18. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  19. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  20. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  21. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  22. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  23. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  24. She had a strange look on her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. root — of a plant
  3. club — for golf
  4. capital — a city
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. tear — from crying
  7. board — to get on
  8. racket — a loud noise
  9. bore — to drill
  10. club — a group
  11. board — a flat piece
  12. capital — money
  13. tear — from crying
  14. capital — a big letter
  15. bore — gave birth
  16. face — to confront
  17. root — of a word
  18. bore — to tire
  19. board — a committee
  20. club — for dancing
  21. face — to point toward
  22. root — the cause
  23. tear — to rip
  24. face — part of the head

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