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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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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: board · jam · march · straw · racket · root

  1. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  2. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  3. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  4. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  5. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  6. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  7. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  8. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  9. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  10. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  11. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  12. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  13. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  14. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  15. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  16. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  17. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  18. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a plant
  2. march — the month
  3. board — a committee
  4. racket — a loud noise
  5. straw — a straw man
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. board — a flat piece
  8. march — the month
  9. root — the cause
  10. straw — to clutch at straws
  11. straw — dry grass
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. jam — to spread on bread
  14. board — to get on
  15. jam — a tight spot
  16. march — music
  17. jam — in traffic
  18. root — of a word

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