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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: suit · spring · roll · saw · board · root · game · drill

  1. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  2. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  3. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  4. She's very handy with a ________________.
  5. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  6. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  7. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  8. That was a fun ________________.
  9. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  10. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  11. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  12. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  13. We're on a ________________ here.
  14. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  15. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  16. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  17. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  18. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  19. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  20. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  21. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  22. When will it ________________ you to start?
  23. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  24. He works in a ________________ mill.

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

Answer key

  1. root — the cause
  2. roll — a cake
  3. spring — a coil
  4. saw — the tool
  5. game — wild animals
  6. suit — in cards
  7. root — of a plant
  8. game — a match
  9. drill — a practice
  10. spring — of water
  11. saw — past of 'see'
  12. game — a kind of play
  13. roll — on a roll
  14. spring — the season
  15. board — a committee
  16. roll — a list
  17. board — to get on
  18. root — of a word
  19. suit — clothes
  20. drill — the tool
  21. drill — army training
  22. suit — to fit
  23. board — a flat piece
  24. saw — the tool

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