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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 · board · degree · ball · band · ruler · leaves · deal

  1. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  2. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  3. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  4. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  5. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  6. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  7. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  8. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  9. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  10. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  11. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  12. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  13. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  14. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  15. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  16. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  17. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  18. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  19. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  20. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  21. The King held a masked ________________.
  22. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  23. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  24. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.

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

Answer key

  1. board — to get on
  2. leaves — of a tree
  3. ruler — a monarch
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. deal — to handle
  6. board — a committee
  7. leaves — lets stay
  8. degree — an amount
  9. root — the cause
  10. band — a music group
  11. root — of a word
  12. leaves — to go away
  13. degree — temperature
  14. band — a ring
  15. degree — from a university
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. band — a rubber band
  18. ball — a great time
  19. deal — a big deal
  20. root — of a plant
  21. ball — a dance
  22. ball — a round shape
  23. board — a flat piece
  24. deal — an agreement

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