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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: root · rule · chip · straw · stand · march · board · squash

  1. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  2. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  3. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  4. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  5. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  6. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  7. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  8. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  9. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  10. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  11. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  12. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  13. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  14. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  15. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  16. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  17. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  18. I can't ________________ this cold.
  19. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  20. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  21. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  22. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  23. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  24. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — government
  2. straw — dry grass
  3. board — a flat piece
  4. stand — for spectators
  5. root — of a plant
  6. chip — for betting
  7. root — of a word
  8. board — to get on
  9. squash — to crush
  10. chip — in a computer
  11. stand — on your feet
  12. squash — the sport
  13. chip — to eat
  14. rule — a law
  15. straw — a straw man
  16. board — a committee
  17. march — music
  18. stand — to bear
  19. squash — the vegetable
  20. rule — to rule out
  21. march — the month
  22. straw — to clutch at straws
  23. root — the cause
  24. march — the month

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