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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: game · track · fine · board · root · saw · cabinet · pop

  1. You don't need to ________________ round.
  2. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  3. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  4. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  5. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  6. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  7. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  8. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  9. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  10. He works in a ________________ mill.
  11. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  12. That was a fun ________________.
  13. We're almost out of ________________.
  14. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  15. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  16. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  17. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  18. She's very handy with a ________________.
  19. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  20. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  21. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  22. What do you think of the new ________________?
  23. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  24. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — to visit
  2. track — a path
  3. saw — past of 'see'
  4. game — a kind of play
  5. root — the cause
  6. game — wild animals
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. board — a flat piece
  9. board — to get on
  10. saw — the tool
  11. fine — all right
  12. game — a match
  13. pop — soda
  14. track — to keep track
  15. root — of a word
  16. fine — high quality
  17. board — a committee
  18. saw — the tool
  19. cabinet — a cupboard
  20. fine — a penalty
  21. track — a song
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. root — of a plant
  24. pop — music

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