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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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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 · row · board · foot · pound · toast · wave · field

  1. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  2. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  3. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  4. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  5. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  6. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  7. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  8. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  9. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  10. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  11. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  12. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  13. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  14. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  15. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  16. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  17. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  18. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  19. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  20. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  21. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  22. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  23. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  24. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.

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

Answer key

  1. field — farmland
  2. root — the cause
  3. toast — a drink to someone
  4. pound — a weight
  5. wave — of the sea
  6. board — a flat piece
  7. root — of a word
  8. wave — a sudden rise
  9. field — for sport
  10. row — to paddle
  11. board — a committee
  12. pound — to hit hard
  13. field — a subject
  14. row — a line
  15. wave — with your hand
  16. toast — the most admired
  17. foot — a measure
  18. foot — the bottom
  19. root — of a plant
  20. toast — bread
  21. row — a quarrel
  22. foot — part of the body
  23. pound — for dogs
  24. board — to get on

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