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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: dip · staff · root · band · perch · saw · bowl · board

  1. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  2. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  3. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  4. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  5. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  6. She's very handy with a ________________.
  7. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  8. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  9. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  10. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  11. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  12. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  13. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  14. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  15. He works in a ________________ mill.
  16. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  17. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  18. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  19. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  20. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  21. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  22. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  23. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  24. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — a stick
  2. root — of a word
  3. band — a rubber band
  4. staff — employees
  5. board — a committee
  6. saw — the tool
  7. root — the cause
  8. band — a music group
  9. staff — employees
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. dip — to sink
  12. board — a flat piece
  13. bowl — a football final
  14. saw — past of 'see'
  15. saw — the tool
  16. perch — the fish
  17. band — a ring
  18. root — of a plant
  19. dip — to dunk
  20. bowl — to roll
  21. dip — a sauce
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. board — to get on
  24. bowl — a dish

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