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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: shower · charge · board · pop · ground · key · march · root

  1. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  2. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  3. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  4. You don't need to ________________ round.
  5. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  6. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  7. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  8. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  9. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  10. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  11. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  12. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  13. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  14. The tickets are free of ________________.
  15. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  16. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  17. This piece is in a major ________________.
  18. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  19. There's no middle ________________.
  20. We're almost out of ________________.
  21. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  22. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  23. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  24. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a word
  2. pop — music
  3. root — the cause
  4. pop — to visit
  5. march — the month
  6. ground — the earth
  7. board — to get on
  8. board — a flat piece
  9. root — of a plant
  10. march — music
  11. march — the month
  12. charge — in control
  13. charge — electricity
  14. charge — a price
  15. shower — to wash
  16. key — for a lock
  17. key — in music
  18. ground — crushed
  19. ground — a position
  20. pop — soda
  21. key — the most important part
  22. shower — rain
  23. board — a committee
  24. shower — a meteor shower

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