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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: board · cell · lie · root · bass · present · content · fine

  1. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  2. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  3. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  4. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  5. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  6. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  7. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  8. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  9. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  10. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  11. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  12. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  13. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  14. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  15. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  16. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  17. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  18. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  19. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  20. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  21. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  22. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  23. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  24. He was locked up in a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a word
  2. bass — the fish
  3. bass — low music
  4. fine — a penalty
  5. present — the time now
  6. content — videos and posts
  7. root — the cause
  8. root — of a plant
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. board — to get on
  11. content — happy
  12. cell — a phone
  13. present — there
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. board — a flat piece
  16. bass — the instrument
  17. fine — high quality
  18. board — a committee
  19. present — a gift
  20. lie — to recline
  21. cell — in biology
  22. content — the amount
  23. fine — all right
  24. cell — in a prison

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