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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: fine · calf · racket · mug · board · root · clip · rush

  1. Where did you ________________ them?
  2. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  3. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  4. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  5. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  6. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  7. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  8. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  9. That must've been a ________________.
  10. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  11. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  12. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  13. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  14. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  15. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  16. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  17. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  18. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  19. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  20. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  21. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  22. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  23. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  24. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — to rob
  2. board — to get on
  3. board — a committee
  4. mug — a cup
  5. root — of a word
  6. root — of a plant
  7. rush — hurry
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. rush — a thrill
  10. fine — high quality
  11. clip — to cut
  12. mug — a face
  13. clip — a video
  14. root — the cause
  15. calf — of the leg
  16. fine — a penalty
  17. clip — for paper
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. rush — to hurry
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. fine — all right
  22. racket — a loud noise
  23. board — a flat piece
  24. racket — for tennis

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