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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 120 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
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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: craft · board · squash · root · march · shower · staff · drill

  1. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  2. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  3. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  4. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  5. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  6. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  7. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  8. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  9. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  10. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  11. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  12. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  13. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  14. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  15. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  16. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  17. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  18. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  19. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  20. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  21. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  22. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  23. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  24. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the sport
  2. march — the month
  3. board — a flat piece
  4. shower — a meteor shower
  5. root — of a plant
  6. root — of a word
  7. squash — the vegetable
  8. shower — rain
  9. craft — a skill
  10. squash — to crush
  11. craft — boats
  12. staff — a stick
  13. board — to get on
  14. drill — the tool
  15. staff — employees
  16. staff — employees
  17. march — music
  18. drill — army training
  19. root — the cause
  20. march — the month
  21. shower — to wash
  22. drill — a practice
  23. craft — a handicraft
  24. board — a committee

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