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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 · plane · board · last · drill · stock · cue · rule

  1. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  2. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  3. The ________________ market has crashed.
  4. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  5. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  6. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  7. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  8. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  9. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  10. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  11. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  12. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  13. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  14. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  15. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  16. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  17. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  18. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  19. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  20. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  21. False peace will not ________________.
  22. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  23. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  24. The ________________ took off on time.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — a law
  2. root — of a plant
  3. stock — shares
  4. cue — a signal
  5. root — of a word
  6. drill — a practice
  7. cue — a hint
  8. root — the cause
  9. drill — army training
  10. drill — the tool
  11. plane — in geometry
  12. board — to get on
  13. cue — for pool
  14. last — final
  15. board — a committee
  16. last — finally
  17. stock — goods
  18. stock — a soup base
  19. rule — to rule out
  20. plane — a tool
  21. last — to go on
  22. board — a flat piece
  23. rule — government
  24. plane — an aircraft

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