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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: pound · stick · drill · branch · wax · foot · board · root

  1. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  2. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  3. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  4. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  5. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  6. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  7. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  8. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  9. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  10. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  11. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  12. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  13. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  14. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  15. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  16. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  17. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  18. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  19. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  20. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  21. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  22. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  23. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  24. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a flat piece
  2. branch — a division
  3. wax — to grow
  4. drill — army training
  5. branch — of a bank
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. pound — for dogs
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. foot — a measure
  10. drill — a practice
  11. wax — for sculpting
  12. board — to get on
  13. branch — of a tree
  14. pound — a weight
  15. board — a committee
  16. foot — the bottom
  17. root — the cause
  18. root — of a word
  19. root — of a plant
  20. wax — in the ear
  21. drill — the tool
  22. stick — to attach or keep to
  23. foot — part of the body
  24. pound — to hit hard

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