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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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  2. We're on a ________________ here.
  3. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  4. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  5. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  6. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  7. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  8. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  9. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  10. The ________________ took off on time.
  11. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  12. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  13. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  14. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  15. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  16. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  17. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  18. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  19. When was this ________________ built?
  20. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  21. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  22. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  23. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  24. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a flat piece
  2. roll — on a roll
  3. bowl — a dish
  4. wound — an injury
  5. root — the cause
  6. roll — a list
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. temple — side of the head
  9. bowl — a football final
  10. plane — an aircraft
  11. plane — in geometry
  12. roll — a cake
  13. board — to get on
  14. root — of a word
  15. craft — a handicraft
  16. craft — boats
  17. plane — a tool
  18. root — of a plant
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. craft — a skill
  21. wound — past of 'wind'
  22. bowl — to roll
  23. wound — an injury
  24. board — a committee

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