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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: club · cue · root · pound · board · ball · last · ruler

  1. The King held a masked ________________.
  2. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  3. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  4. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  5. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  6. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  7. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  8. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  9. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  10. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  11. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  12. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  13. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  14. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  15. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  16. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  17. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  18. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  19. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  20. False peace will not ________________.
  21. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  22. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  23. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  24. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a dance
  2. pound — to hit hard
  3. cue — a hint
  4. root — the cause
  5. pound — a weight
  6. pound — for dogs
  7. board — to get on
  8. cue — for pool
  9. club — a group
  10. ruler — a monarch
  11. club — for dancing
  12. last — final
  13. ball — a great time
  14. cue — a signal
  15. ball — a round shape
  16. club — for golf
  17. last — finally
  18. board — a committee
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. last — to go on
  21. root — of a plant
  22. board — a flat piece
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. root — of a word

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