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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: root · stock · rash · temple · band · drill · board · staff

  1. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  2. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  3. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  4. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  5. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  6. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  7. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  8. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  9. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  10. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  11. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  12. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  13. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  14. The ________________ market has crashed.
  15. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  16. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  17. When was this ________________ built?
  18. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  19. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  20. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  21. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  22. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  23. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  24. Don't do anything ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. root — the cause
  2. band — a ring
  3. staff — employees
  4. staff — a stick
  5. band — a rubber band
  6. board — to get on
  7. band — a music group
  8. rash — on the skin
  9. board — a committee
  10. drill — army training
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. board — a flat piece
  13. temple — side of the head
  14. stock — shares
  15. stock — a soup base
  16. staff — employees
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. root — of a word
  19. drill — a practice
  20. drill — the tool
  21. stock — goods
  22. root — of a plant
  23. rash — a series
  24. rash — hasty

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