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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 120 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: rash · cell · fork · mark · wind · board · track · root

  1. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  2. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  3. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  4. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  5. He was locked up in a ________________.
  6. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  7. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  8. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  9. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  10. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  11. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  12. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  13. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  14. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  15. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  16. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  17. Don't do anything ________________.
  18. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  19. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  20. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  21. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  22. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  23. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  24. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a flat piece
  2. board — a committee
  3. mark — a trace
  4. fork — in a road
  5. cell — in a prison
  6. fork — a garden tool
  7. track — to keep track
  8. track — a song
  9. mark — to pay attention
  10. fork — to eat with
  11. root — of a plant
  12. wind — to turn a key
  13. track — a path
  14. root — the cause
  15. rash — on the skin
  16. mark — a grade
  17. rash — hasty
  18. board — to get on
  19. rash — a series
  20. root — of a word
  21. wind — moving air
  22. cell — a phone
  23. wind — moving air
  24. cell — in biology

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