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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: nail · board · roll · pop · staff · deal · root · ground

  1. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  2. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  3. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  4. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  5. There's no middle ________________.
  6. You don't need to ________________ round.
  7. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  8. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  9. The ________________ went through the wall.
  10. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  11. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  12. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  13. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  14. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  15. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  16. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  17. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  18. We're on a ________________ here.
  19. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  20. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  21. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  22. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  23. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  24. We're almost out of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — to handle
  2. staff — employees
  3. deal — an agreement
  4. board — a flat piece
  5. ground — a position
  6. pop — to visit
  7. board — to get on
  8. root — of a plant
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. nail — on a finger
  11. deal — a big deal
  12. roll — a cake
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. ground — the earth
  15. root — of a word
  16. staff — employees
  17. staff — a stick
  18. roll — on a roll
  19. board — a committee
  20. pop — music
  21. ground — crushed
  22. root — the cause
  23. roll — a list
  24. pop — soda

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