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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 · chest · board · mark · bowl · pop · squash · rock

  1. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  2. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  3. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  4. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  5. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  6. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  7. We're almost out of ________________.
  8. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  9. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  10. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  11. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  12. You don't need to ________________ round.
  13. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  14. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  15. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  16. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  17. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  18. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  19. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  20. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  21. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  22. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  23. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  24. She got the top ________________ in the exam.

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

Answer key

  1. board — to get on
  2. board — a flat piece
  3. squash — the sport
  4. pop — music
  5. mark — a trace
  6. board — a committee
  7. pop — soda
  8. squash — the vegetable
  9. root — of a word
  10. rock — a stone
  11. root — of a plant
  12. pop — to visit
  13. bowl — to roll
  14. mark — to pay attention
  15. root — the cause
  16. chest — of your body
  17. rock — to move gently
  18. chest — a box
  19. bowl — a football final
  20. squash — to crush
  21. rock — music
  22. chest — of your body
  23. bowl — a dish
  24. mark — a grade

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