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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: pop · march · row · board · ruler · root · bass · arm

  1. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  2. We're almost out of ________________.
  3. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  4. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  5. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  6. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  7. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  8. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  9. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  10. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  11. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  12. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  13. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  14. My father caught me by the ________________.
  15. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  16. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  17. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  18. You don't need to ________________ round.
  19. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  20. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  21. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  22. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  23. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  24. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. pop — soda
  3. march — music
  4. board — to get on
  5. bass — low music
  6. board — a flat piece
  7. row — to paddle
  8. arm — a part of something
  9. ruler — a monarch
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. bass — the fish
  13. root — the cause
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. row — a line
  16. march — the month
  17. root — of a word
  18. pop — to visit
  19. row — a quarrel
  20. root — of a plant
  21. bass — the instrument
  22. pop — music
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. board — a committee

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