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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: snap · club · root · fork · board · rest · cabinet · rash

  1. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  2. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  3. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  4. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  5. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  6. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  7. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  8. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  9. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  10. What do you think of the new ________________?
  11. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  12. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  13. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  14. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  15. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  16. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  17. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  18. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  19. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  20. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  21. Don't do anything ________________.
  22. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  23. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  24. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to speak sharply
  2. rash — on the skin
  3. snap — to snap out of it
  4. fork — a garden tool
  5. club — for golf
  6. root — of a word
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. cabinet — a cupboard
  9. root — the cause
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. rash — a series
  12. board — a flat piece
  13. board — a committee
  14. fork — in a road
  15. rest — what's left
  16. fork — to eat with
  17. root — of a plant
  18. rest — a break
  19. snap — to click
  20. club — for dancing
  21. rash — hasty
  22. board — to get on
  23. rest — what's left
  24. club — a group

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