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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 120 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: ground · leaves · swing · tear · craft · root · board · net

  1. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  2. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  3. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  4. David sat on the ________________.
  5. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  6. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  7. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  8. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  9. There's no middle ________________.
  10. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  11. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  12. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  13. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  14. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  15. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  16. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  17. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  18. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  19. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  20. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  21. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  22. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  23. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  24. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a committee
  2. craft — a skill
  3. swing — in golf
  4. swing — to play on
  5. board — a flat piece
  6. tear — to rip
  7. tear — from crying
  8. net — for catching
  9. ground — a position
  10. leaves — to go away
  11. leaves — lets stay
  12. root — of a word
  13. craft — boats
  14. tear — from crying
  15. root — the cause
  16. net — after costs
  17. ground — the earth
  18. net — in sport
  19. ground — crushed
  20. leaves — of a tree
  21. board — to get on
  22. root — of a plant
  23. craft — a handicraft
  24. swing — music

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