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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: root · stick · ball · board · wound · club · race · spell

  1. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  2. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  3. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  4. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  5. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  6. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  7. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  8. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  9. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  10. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  11. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  12. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  13. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  14. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  15. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  16. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  17. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  18. How do you ________________ your surname?
  19. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  20. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  21. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  22. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  23. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  24. The King held a masked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a great time
  2. root — of a plant
  3. spell — magic
  4. board — a committee
  5. root — of a word
  6. race — humankind
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. club — for dancing
  9. ball — a round shape
  10. stick — to attach or keep to
  11. spell — a short time
  12. board — to get on
  13. club — for golf
  14. race — a contest
  15. root — the cause
  16. wound — an injury
  17. board — a flat piece
  18. spell — letters
  19. club — a group
  20. wound — an injury
  21. wound — past of 'wind'
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. race — the arms race
  24. ball — a dance

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