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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: snap · row · ball · root · board · band · track · mate

  1. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  2. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  3. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  4. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  5. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  6. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  7. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  8. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  9. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  10. Have you found your soul ________________?
  11. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  12. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  13. The King held a masked ________________.
  14. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  15. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  16. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  17. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  18. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  19. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  20. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  21. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  22. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  23. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  24. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a word
  2. mate — a friend
  3. board — a committee
  4. board — a flat piece
  5. mate — to breed
  6. band — a rubber band
  7. track — a song
  8. band — a ring
  9. row — a line
  10. mate — a partner
  11. root — of a plant
  12. snap — to snap out of it
  13. ball — a dance
  14. track — to keep track
  15. board — to get on
  16. row — a quarrel
  17. snap — to click
  18. snap — to speak sharply
  19. row — to paddle
  20. root — the cause
  21. ball — a great time
  22. ball — a round shape
  23. band — a music group
  24. track — a path

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