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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.

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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: firm · perch · root · plane · bowl · last · foot · board

  1. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  2. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  3. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  4. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  5. False peace will not ________________.
  6. The ________________ took off on time.
  7. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  8. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  9. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  10. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  11. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  12. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  13. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  14. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  15. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  16. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  17. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  18. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  19. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  20. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  21. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  22. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  23. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  24. ________________ games are popular in Germany.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — part of the body
  2. board — a committee
  3. foot — a measure
  4. last — final
  5. last — to go on
  6. plane — an aircraft
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. bowl — a dish
  9. perch — the fish
  10. bowl — a football final
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. firm — decided
  13. root — of a plant
  14. firm — steady
  15. plane — in geometry
  16. root — the cause
  17. firm — a company
  18. bowl — to roll
  19. plane — a tool
  20. last — finally
  21. foot — the bottom
  22. board — to get on
  23. root — of a word
  24. board — a flat piece

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