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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: wound · bore · root · cue · land · board · rule · bay

  1. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  2. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  3. When are we going to ________________?
  4. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  5. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  6. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  7. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  8. My mare is ________________ in color.
  9. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  10. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  11. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  12. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  13. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  14. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  15. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  16. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  17. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  18. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  19. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  20. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  21. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  22. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  23. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  24. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — to keep at bay
  2. board — a committee
  3. land — to come down
  4. cue — for pool
  5. root — of a plant
  6. rule — government
  7. bore — gave birth
  8. bay — a horse colour
  9. rule — a law
  10. board — to get on
  11. board — a flat piece
  12. wound — an injury
  13. wound — past of 'wind'
  14. land — ground
  15. cue — a hint
  16. wound — an injury
  17. bore — to tire
  18. bay — a part of the sea
  19. cue — a signal
  20. root — of a word
  21. root — the cause
  22. rule — to rule out
  23. land — a country
  24. bore — to drill

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