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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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 · root · perch · racket · staff · spring · mug · temple

  1. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  2. When was this ________________ built?
  3. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  4. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  5. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  6. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  7. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  8. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  9. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  10. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  11. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  12. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  13. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  14. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  15. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  16. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  17. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  18. Where did you ________________ them?
  19. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  20. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  21. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  22. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  23. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  24. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a flat piece
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. spring — of water
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. staff — a stick
  6. root — of a plant
  7. staff — employees
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. board — to get on
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. spring — a coil
  12. board — a committee
  13. mug — a face
  14. staff — employees
  15. spring — the season
  16. root — of a word
  17. mug — a cup
  18. mug — to rob
  19. temple — side of the head
  20. racket — a loud noise
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. root — the cause
  23. perch — the fish
  24. racket — for tennis

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