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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: firm · staff · board · rock · mate · track · root · clip

  1. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  2. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  3. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  4. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  5. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  6. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  7. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  8. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  9. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  10. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  11. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  12. Have you found your soul ________________?
  13. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  14. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  15. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  16. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  17. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  18. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  19. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  20. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  21. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  22. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  23. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  24. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — a company
  2. rock — music
  3. track — a song
  4. mate — to breed
  5. rock — a stone
  6. staff — employees
  7. board — to get on
  8. clip — for paper
  9. track — to keep track
  10. root — of a word
  11. staff — a stick
  12. mate — a partner
  13. root — of a plant
  14. mate — a friend
  15. staff — employees
  16. clip — a video
  17. board — a committee
  18. board — a flat piece
  19. root — the cause
  20. rock — to move gently
  21. track — a path
  22. firm — decided
  23. clip — to cut
  24. firm — steady

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