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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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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: face · content · club · root · dip · board · hide · fork

  1. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  2. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  3. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  4. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  5. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  6. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  7. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  8. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  9. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  10. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  11. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  12. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  13. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  14. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  15. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  16. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  17. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  18. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  19. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  20. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  21. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  22. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  23. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  24. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — to eat with
  2. dip — to dunk
  3. fork — in a road
  4. board — to get on
  5. dip — a sauce
  6. board — a flat piece
  7. club — for dancing
  8. dip — to sink
  9. face — to point toward
  10. hide — animal skin
  11. root — the cause
  12. root — of a plant
  13. content — videos and posts
  14. content — happy
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. club — a group
  17. board — a committee
  18. face — part of the head
  19. root — of a word
  20. fork — a garden tool
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. club — for golf
  23. content — the amount
  24. face — to confront

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