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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 116 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: can · root · land · straw · board · cue · pitcher · lash

  1. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  2. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  3. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  4. When are we going to ________________?
  5. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  6. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  7. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  8. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  9. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  10. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  11. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  12. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  13. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  14. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  15. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  16. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  17. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  18. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  19. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  20. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  21. He is an ace ________________.
  22. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  23. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  24. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a flat piece
  2. cue — a hint
  3. cue — for pool
  4. land — to come down
  5. can — a tin
  6. land — ground
  7. root — of a word
  8. cue — a signal
  9. lash — an eyelash
  10. root — the cause
  11. lash — to lash out
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. land — a country
  14. straw — a straw man
  15. board — a committee
  16. root — of a plant
  17. board — to get on
  18. straw — to clutch at straws
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. lash — a whip stroke
  21. pitcher — in baseball
  22. can — to be able to
  23. can — a tin
  24. straw — dry grass

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