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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: board · club · kick · game · date · bound · march · root

  1. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  2. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  3. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  4. Have you settled on a ________________?
  5. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  6. That was a fun ________________.
  7. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  8. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  9. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  10. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  11. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  12. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  13. That was ________________ to happen.
  14. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  15. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  16. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  17. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  18. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  19. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  20. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  21. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  22. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  23. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  24. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — in football
  2. club — a group
  3. board — to get on
  4. date — on the calendar
  5. board — a flat piece
  6. game — a match
  7. kick — a thrill
  8. bound — obliged
  9. date — on the calendar
  10. march — the month
  11. bound — tied together
  12. board — a committee
  13. bound — certain
  14. club — for golf
  15. march — the month
  16. root — the cause
  17. game — wild animals
  18. root — of a plant
  19. march — music
  20. kick — with a leg
  21. root — of a word
  22. game — a kind of play
  23. club — for dancing
  24. date — the fruit

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