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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: season · wound · root · fall · deal · row · club · board

  1. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  2. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  3. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  4. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  5. Did you ________________ the meat?
  6. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  7. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  8. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  9. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  10. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  11. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  12. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  13. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  14. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  15. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  16. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  17. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  18. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  19. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  20. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  21. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  22. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  23. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  24. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.

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

Answer key

  1. board — to get on
  2. root — the cause
  3. root — of a plant
  4. board — a flat piece
  5. season — to add flavour
  6. row — to paddle
  7. deal — an agreement
  8. wound — past of 'wind'
  9. season — in sport
  10. club — for dancing
  11. row — a line
  12. root — of a word
  13. club — a group
  14. fall — to drop
  15. wound — an injury
  16. deal — a big deal
  17. season — of the year
  18. wound — an injury
  19. fall — to drop
  20. row — a quarrel
  21. club — for golf
  22. board — a committee
  23. deal — to handle
  24. fall — the season

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