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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: board · rock · nail · toast · fan · date · root · game

  1. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  2. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  3. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  4. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  5. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  6. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  7. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  8. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  9. Have you settled on a ________________?
  10. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  11. That was a fun ________________.
  12. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  13. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  14. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  15. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  16. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  17. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  18. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  19. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  20. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  21. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  22. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  23. The ________________ went through the wall.
  24. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.

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

Answer key

  1. board — to get on
  2. toast — bread
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. date — on the calendar
  5. rock — to move gently
  6. board — a flat piece
  7. root — the cause
  8. rock — a stone
  9. date — on the calendar
  10. nail — on a finger
  11. game — a match
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. fan — to cool the air
  14. root — of a plant
  15. toast — the most admired
  16. game — a kind of play
  17. game — wild animals
  18. rock — music
  19. date — the fruit
  20. toast — a drink to someone
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. board — a committee
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. root — of a word

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