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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
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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 · chair · bowl · ball · fine · rush · row · board

  1. The King held a masked ________________.
  2. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  3. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  4. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  5. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  6. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  7. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  8. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  9. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  10. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  11. That must've been a ________________.
  12. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  13. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  14. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  15. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  16. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  17. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  18. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  19. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  20. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  21. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  22. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  23. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  24. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a dance
  2. bowl — a dish
  3. rush — to hurry
  4. rush — hurry
  5. ball — a great time
  6. board — a flat piece
  7. chair — to sit on
  8. fine — a penalty
  9. fine — high quality
  10. chair — a professorship
  11. rush — a thrill
  12. fine — all right
  13. board — a committee
  14. root — of a plant
  15. row — a line
  16. row — a quarrel
  17. ball — a round shape
  18. board — to get on
  19. row — to paddle
  20. root — the cause
  21. bowl — to roll
  22. bowl — a football final
  23. root — of a word
  24. chair — a leader

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