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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: rock · root · perch · straw · club · board · tear · nail

  1. The ________________ went through the wall.
  2. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  3. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  4. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  5. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  6. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  7. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  8. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  9. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  10. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  11. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  12. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  13. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  14. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  15. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  16. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  17. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  18. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  19. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  20. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  21. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  22. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  23. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  24. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. club — for golf
  3. club — a group
  4. club — for dancing
  5. tear — from crying
  6. board — to get on
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. straw — dry grass
  9. rock — to move gently
  10. rock — music
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. root — of a word
  13. root — the cause
  14. board — a flat piece
  15. tear — to rip
  16. straw — to clutch at straws
  17. rock — a stone
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. root — of a plant
  20. straw — a straw man
  21. tear — from crying
  22. perch — the fish
  23. nail — on a finger
  24. board — a committee

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