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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: board · squash · patient · mate · court · wake · bank · root

  1. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  2. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  3. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  4. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  5. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  6. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  7. The ball is in your ________________.
  8. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  9. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  10. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  11. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  12. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  13. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  14. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  15. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  16. Have you found your soul ________________?
  17. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  18. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  19. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  20. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  21. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  22. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  23. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  24. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the vegetable
  2. root — of a word
  3. bank — for money
  4. squash — the sport
  5. wake — a trail
  6. court — of law
  7. court — for sport
  8. wake — to stop sleeping
  9. board — a flat piece
  10. root — of a plant
  11. squash — to crush
  12. bank — for money
  13. wake — before a funeral
  14. court — of a king
  15. board — to get on
  16. mate — a partner
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. root — the cause
  20. bank — of a river
  21. mate — a friend
  22. patient — calm and waiting
  23. board — a committee
  24. mate — to breed

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