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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: root · rash · last · board · march · jam · content · object

  1. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  2. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  3. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  4. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  5. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  6. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  7. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  8. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  9. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  10. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  11. False peace will not ________________.
  12. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  13. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  14. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  15. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  16. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  17. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  18. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  19. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  20. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  21. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  22. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  23. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  24. Don't do anything ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a plant
  2. content — the amount
  3. jam — a tight spot
  4. march — the month
  5. content — videos and posts
  6. rash — on the skin
  7. jam — in traffic
  8. last — final
  9. rash — a series
  10. content — happy
  11. last — to go on
  12. object — an aim
  13. board — to get on
  14. board — a committee
  15. board — a flat piece
  16. object — to protest
  17. last — finally
  18. root — of a word
  19. march — music
  20. object — a thing
  21. root — the cause
  22. jam — to spread on bread
  23. march — the month
  24. rash — hasty

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