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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: hand · bound · root · board · mug · capital · row · club

  1. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  2. That was ________________ to happen.
  3. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  4. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  5. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  6. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  7. Where did you ________________ them?
  8. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  9. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  10. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  11. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  12. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  13. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  14. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  15. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  16. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  17. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  18. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  19. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  20. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  21. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  22. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  23. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  24. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a flat piece
  2. bound — certain
  3. mug — a cup
  4. root — of a word
  5. club — a group
  6. hand — in cards
  7. mug — to rob
  8. board — to get on
  9. row — a line
  10. bound — tied together
  11. row — a quarrel
  12. hand — part of the body
  13. root — of a plant
  14. club — for dancing
  15. capital — money
  16. board — a committee
  17. bound — obliged
  18. row — to paddle
  19. capital — a city
  20. root — the cause
  21. capital — a big letter
  22. mug — a face
  23. hand — help
  24. club — for golf

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