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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: press · tube · board · root · plane · band

  1. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  2. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  3. The ________________ took off on time.
  4. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  5. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  6. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  7. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  8. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  9. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  10. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  11. I'll be taking the ________________.
  12. Did you ________________ the button?
  13. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  14. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  15. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  16. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  17. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  18. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a flat piece
  2. root — the cause
  3. plane — an aircraft
  4. band — a ring
  5. board — to get on
  6. band — a rubber band
  7. tube — a container
  8. root — of a word
  9. root — of a plant
  10. plane — in geometry
  11. tube — the underground
  12. press — to push
  13. band — a music group
  14. tube — in a tire
  15. press — a publisher
  16. board — a committee
  17. plane — a tool
  18. press — newspapers

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