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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 · toast · nail · board · bat · wind · band · can

  1. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  2. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  3. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  4. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  5. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  6. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  7. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  8. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  9. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  10. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  11. The ________________ went through the wall.
  12. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  13. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  14. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  15. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  16. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  17. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  18. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  19. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  20. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  21. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  22. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  23. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  24. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a word
  2. board — a committee
  3. wind — moving air
  4. toast — a drink to someone
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. toast — bread
  7. bat — for baseball
  8. root — of a plant
  9. band — a rubber band
  10. wind — to turn a key
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. nail — on a finger
  13. can — to be able to
  14. band — a music group
  15. bat — in an idiom
  16. board — a flat piece
  17. can — a tin
  18. root — the cause
  19. wind — moving air
  20. band — a ring
  21. toast — the most admired
  22. bat — the animal
  23. board — to get on
  24. can — a tin

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