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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: hand · bore · root · sharp · perch · can · board · race

  1. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  2. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  3. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  4. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  5. It's one o'clock ________________.
  6. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  7. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  8. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  9. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  10. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  11. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  12. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  13. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  14. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  15. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  16. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  17. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  18. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  19. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  20. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  21. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  22. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  23. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  24. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a flat piece
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. race — a contest
  5. sharp — exactly
  6. root — of a word
  7. bore — to tire
  8. root — of a plant
  9. bore — to drill
  10. race — humankind
  11. can — a tin
  12. can — to be able to
  13. hand — in cards
  14. sharp — clever
  15. sharp — with an edge
  16. hand — help
  17. race — the arms race
  18. can — a tin
  19. root — the cause
  20. board — to get on
  21. bore — gave birth
  22. board — a committee
  23. perch — the fish
  24. hand — part of the body

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