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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: file · chair · ball · board · root · snap · pound · bowl

  1. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  2. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  3. The King held a masked ________________.
  4. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  5. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  6. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  7. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  8. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  9. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  10. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  11. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  12. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  13. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  14. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  15. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  16. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  17. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  18. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  19. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  20. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  21. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  22. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  23. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  24. ________________ games are popular in Germany.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — to sit on
  2. chair — a professorship
  3. ball — a dance
  4. snap — to speak sharply
  5. file — a line of people
  6. pound — a weight
  7. pound — to hit hard
  8. pound — for dogs
  9. file — a document
  10. root — of a plant
  11. bowl — a dish
  12. snap — to click
  13. board — a committee
  14. file — a tool
  15. root — of a word
  16. snap — to snap out of it
  17. ball — a round shape
  18. board — to get on
  19. ball — a great time
  20. chair — a leader
  21. bowl — to roll
  22. root — the cause
  23. bowl — a football final
  24. board — a flat piece

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