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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: root · rock · board · march · rest · sharp · fan · jam

  1. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  2. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  3. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  4. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  5. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  6. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  7. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  8. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  9. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  10. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  11. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  12. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  13. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  14. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  15. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  16. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  17. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  18. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  19. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  20. It's one o'clock ________________.
  21. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  22. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  23. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  24. This knife is not ________________ enough.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. root — of a word
  3. march — the month
  4. march — music
  5. board — to get on
  6. root — the cause
  7. jam — to spread on bread
  8. rock — to move gently
  9. rock — music
  10. board — a committee
  11. jam — in traffic
  12. march — the month
  13. rest — a break
  14. rest — what's left
  15. root — of a plant
  16. sharp — clever
  17. board — a flat piece
  18. fan — to cool the air
  19. jam — a tight spot
  20. sharp — exactly
  21. rock — a stone
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. sharp — with an edge

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