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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: root · pop · rest · deal · object · board · ground · wind

  1. You don't need to ________________ round.
  2. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  3. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  4. There's no middle ________________.
  5. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  6. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  7. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  8. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  9. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  10. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  11. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  12. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  13. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  14. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  15. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  16. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  17. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  18. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  19. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  20. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  21. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  22. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  23. We're almost out of ________________.
  24. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — to visit
  2. rest — what's left
  3. board — a committee
  4. ground — a position
  5. root — of a plant
  6. deal — a big deal
  7. deal — an agreement
  8. ground — the earth
  9. wind — moving air
  10. root — of a word
  11. rest — what's left
  12. deal — to handle
  13. board — to get on
  14. wind — to turn a key
  15. object — to protest
  16. object — an aim
  17. wind — moving air
  18. ground — crushed
  19. root — the cause
  20. object — a thing
  21. rest — a break
  22. board — a flat piece
  23. pop — soda
  24. pop — music

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