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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: pop · mate · last · board · row · deal · root · object

  1. We're almost out of ________________.
  2. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  3. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  4. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  5. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  6. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  7. False peace will not ________________.
  8. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  9. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  10. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  11. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  12. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  13. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  14. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  15. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  16. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  17. Have you found your soul ________________?
  18. You don't need to ________________ round.
  19. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  20. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  21. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  22. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  23. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  24. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?

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

Answer key

  1. pop — soda
  2. deal — an agreement
  3. root — of a word
  4. object — a thing
  5. board — to get on
  6. root — of a plant
  7. last — to go on
  8. mate — a friend
  9. row — a line
  10. last — final
  11. pop — music
  12. root — the cause
  13. deal — a big deal
  14. row — a quarrel
  15. object — an aim
  16. last — finally
  17. mate — a partner
  18. pop — to visit
  19. row — to paddle
  20. board — a flat piece
  21. deal — to handle
  22. board — a committee
  23. mate — to breed
  24. object — to protest

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