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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: board · kid · firm · prune · root · march · mark · safe

  1. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  2. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  3. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  4. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  5. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  6. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  7. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  8. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  9. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  10. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  11. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  12. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  13. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  14. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  15. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  16. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  17. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  18. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  19. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  20. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  21. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  22. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  23. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  24. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — to tease
  2. firm — steady
  3. board — a committee
  4. firm — decided
  5. root — of a plant
  6. board — to get on
  7. prune — to trim
  8. mark — to pay attention
  9. mark — a grade
  10. prune — the fruit
  11. march — music
  12. firm — a company
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. march — the month
  15. root — of a word
  16. safe — a strongbox
  17. kid — child
  18. board — a flat piece
  19. prune — to trim
  20. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  21. root — the cause
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. mark — a trace
  24. march — the month

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