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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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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: game · board · press · rock · root · scale

  1. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  2. That was a fun ________________.
  3. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  4. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  5. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  6. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  7. Did you ________________ the button?
  8. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  9. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  10. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  11. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  12. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  13. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  14. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  15. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  16. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  17. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  18. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a kind of play
  2. game — a match
  3. scale — for weighing
  4. root — the cause
  5. board — to get on
  6. rock — a stone
  7. press — to push
  8. root — of a plant
  9. board — a committee
  10. game — wild animals
  11. press — a publisher
  12. scale — in music
  13. rock — to move gently
  14. rock — music
  15. root — of a word
  16. press — newspapers
  17. board — a flat piece
  18. scale — size or range

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