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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: spring · pitcher · root · mate · board · field · wind · toast

  1. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  2. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  3. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  4. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  5. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  6. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  7. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  8. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  9. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  10. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  11. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  12. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  13. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  14. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  15. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  16. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  17. He is an ace ________________.
  18. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  19. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  20. Have you found your soul ________________?
  21. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  22. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  23. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  24. ________________ games are popular in Germany.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — a drink to someone
  2. spring — the season
  3. wind — to turn a key
  4. root — of a plant
  5. mate — to breed
  6. spring — of water
  7. board — to get on
  8. field — a subject
  9. field — for sport
  10. board — a committee
  11. root — the cause
  12. field — farmland
  13. wind — moving air
  14. mate — a friend
  15. wind — moving air
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. pitcher — in baseball
  18. root — of a word
  19. spring — a coil
  20. mate — a partner
  21. toast — bread
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. toast — the most admired
  24. board — a flat piece

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