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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: game · board · spring · bear · band · root · plane · toast

  1. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  2. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  3. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  4. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  5. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  6. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  7. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  8. The ________________ took off on time.
  9. That was a fun ________________.
  10. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  11. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  12. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  13. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  14. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  15. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  16. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  17. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  18. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  19. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  20. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  21. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  22. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  23. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  24. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!

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

Answer key

  1. board — a flat piece
  2. spring — of water
  3. root — of a word
  4. bear — the animal
  5. toast — bread
  6. game — a kind of play
  7. bear — the animal
  8. plane — an aircraft
  9. game — a match
  10. board — a committee
  11. plane — a tool
  12. band — a ring
  13. root — of a plant
  14. game — wild animals
  15. toast — a drink to someone
  16. band — a music group
  17. spring — the season
  18. plane — in geometry
  19. board — to get on
  20. spring — a coil
  21. root — the cause
  22. band — a rubber band
  23. toast — the most admired
  24. bear — to put up with

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