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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: scale · bank · foot · spell · last · content · board · root

  1. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  2. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  3. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  4. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  5. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  6. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  7. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  8. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  9. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  10. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  11. How do you ________________ your surname?
  12. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  13. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  14. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  15. False peace will not ________________.
  16. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  17. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  18. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  19. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  20. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  21. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  22. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  23. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  24. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. board — to get on
  2. content — happy
  3. content — the amount
  4. bank — for money
  5. foot — the bottom
  6. bank — of a river
  7. scale — size or range
  8. root — the cause
  9. spell — a short time
  10. root — of a word
  11. spell — letters
  12. last — final
  13. foot — part of the body
  14. spell — magic
  15. last — to go on
  16. foot — a measure
  17. board — a flat piece
  18. last — finally
  19. scale — for weighing
  20. root — of a plant
  21. scale — in music
  22. board — a committee
  23. bank — for money
  24. content — videos and posts

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