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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: drill · hide · roll · game · foot · board · spring · root

  1. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  2. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  3. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  4. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  5. We're on a ________________ here.
  6. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  7. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  8. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  9. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  10. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  11. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  12. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  13. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  14. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  15. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  16. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  17. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  18. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  19. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  20. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  21. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  22. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  23. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  24. That was a fun ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a word
  2. spring — of water
  3. board — a committee
  4. root — of a plant
  5. roll — on a roll
  6. roll — a cake
  7. root — the cause
  8. foot — part of the body
  9. spring — a coil
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. drill — a practice
  12. drill — army training
  13. game — wild animals
  14. board — a flat piece
  15. board — to get on
  16. hide — animal skin
  17. spring — the season
  18. foot — the bottom
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. foot — a measure
  21. roll — a list
  22. game — a kind of play
  23. drill — the tool
  24. game — a match

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